Human Impact Project

Zia S., 35, an Afghan immigrant and father of five who served as a translator for U.S. troops for five years, was detained by ICE agents on Wednesday outside a USCIS office in East Hartford while submitting biometric information for his green card application. Zia, his wife, and children fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021, fearing retribution for his work with U.S. forces. The family arrived legally in the U.S. in October 2024 on humanitarian parole and "boarding foils" from the U.S. embassy in Islamabad, and all seven family members had approved Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications granting them a pathway to permanent residency. ICE transported Zia to a detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and issued an expedited removal order claiming he did not enter the country legally—a claim his attorney, Lauren Cundick Petersen, disputes. Petersen said Zia told her he feared returning to Afghanistan, where he faced death threats for his service to U.S. forces; according to No One Left Behind nonprofit, more than 300 Afghan translators and their family members were killed between 2014 and 2021.

On June 11, a former president of the Spokane City Council sent out an alert over social media. Two men, in the county legally and seeking asylum, had reported for an appearance in immigration court there. They were then detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, at a Department of Homeland Security office in Spokane. The former council member, Ben Stuckart, urged followers to disrupt that enforcement. Among those responding to the call that day was Bajun Mavalwalla II, a Petaluma native and military veteran who had relocated to Washington. The resulting demonstration became confrontational. Protesters blocked an ICE bus as the agency attempted to transport the two detainees to Tacoma for immigration hearings, deflating the vehicle’s tires. Several people were arrested. Mavalwalla was not one of them. But a month later, on July 15, he got a knock at the door of his Spokane home at 6 a.m. Ten FBI agents were on hand to take him into custody.

Derlis Snaider Chusin Toaquiza, a 19-year-old Ecuadorian asylum-seeker and 11th grader at Grover Cleveland High School in Queens, was detained by ICE on June 4 at a scheduled immigration court appearance in Texas. An immigration judge granted him release on bond, and the Envision Freedom Fund posted a $20,000 bond to secure his release. Chusin reunited with his family on Friday after a month in detention, with his legal team arguing that ICE violated his due process rights. His asylum case remains pending.

Tenzin, a 29-year-old Tibetan refugee originally from Nepal, arrived at Newark airport on July 12 and was detained after attempting to cross into Canada. He spent over six months in ICE detention in Batavia, NY, where his asylum case was dismissed by a judge due to an interpreter's illness, then targeted for deportation to Uganda under the Trump administration's pretermission policy. His attorney successfully intervened to have him deported to Canada instead, where he arrived on February 19.

Sandra, an asylum seeker from South America, was arrested by ICE during a routine check-in appointment at the agency's San Francisco field office on July 11, 2025, and has been held in a detention center awaiting updates on her pending asylum case. She met her husband Roberto online in 2017 and undertook a months-long journey through Central America and the Darien Gap to reunite with him in San Francisco, where they married in early 2025. Sandra was taking English classes at City College and the couple was planning to start a family when she was detained. Roberto, who recently obtained legal status and received a promotion at work, was present during the appointment. Sandra continues to wait for her first court date, with her attorney fighting for her pending asylum application while she remains in detention.

ICE agents arrested a Guatemalan asylum seeker identified as Juan on July 8, 2025, minutes after he completed his immigration court hearing at the John E. Moss Federal Building in downtown Sacramento. The man had been complying with all court requirements, had no criminal record, and had not missed any previous hearings or check-ins. Despite receiving a new court date scheduled for October, he was detained by ICE immediately following his hearing. Volunteers from NorCal Resist assisted his family member in locating legal resources and using the federal detainee locator system.

A Ghanaian woman who has lived in the U.S. for five years and works as a home health aide in Franklin County is facing deportation to Uganda under a 2025 U.S.-Uganda agreement, despite having no ties to Uganda and speaking a different language. She has been seeking asylum but the Department of Homeland Security is pushing to cut her case short and deport her to the third country. Immigration lawyer Gus Shihab noted the contradiction in the U.S. government's position, as the State Department has documented human rights concerns in Uganda while simultaneously claiming it is a safe destination for deportees.

Svetlana Romanova, a 59-year-old Russian woman who fled to the U.S. after protesting Russia's war in Ukraine, has spent approximately eight months detained at the CoreCivic Houston Processing Center despite her deteriorating mental and physical health. Islam Musaev, a 28-year-old Kyrgyzstani man who was granted asylum by an immigration judge in March, remains detained after the Department of Homeland Security appealed his case. Data shows detainees at Houston-area facilities are being held significantly longer since the start of Trump's second term, with average stays more than doubling at some facilities.

Svetlana Romanova, a 59-year-old Russian who fled to protest the Ukraine war, has been detained for approximately eight months at CoreCivic Houston Processing Center. She reports inadequate medical care, significant weight loss, and suicidal ideation that was dismissed by staff. An immigration judge ruled against her asylum claim in April; she has appealed, citing risk to her life if returned to Russia.

Vilma Palacios, 22, a recent LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing graduate who had accepted a job at Touro Infirmary, was arrested by ICE agents on June 26, 2025, while attempting to get a vehicle inspection sticker. She has been detained at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile for six months. Palacios had previously been granted a work permit and had applied for asylum as a child, fleeing Honduras at age 6.

A mother named Marisol and her 11-year-old daughter hid in their Minnesota home for two months to avoid ICE raids, surviving on donated food. When provisions ran out, the mother ventured out to purchase food for her daughter and was detained by ICE agents. The daughter, now being cared for by an activist, has a pending asylum case and is advocating for her mother's release.

Emerson Colindres, a 19-year-old high school graduate and soccer player from Cincinnati, was detained by ICE on June 4, 2025, during a routine check-in appointment at an Intensive Supervision Appearance Program facility in Blue Ash, Ohio. Colindres arrived in the U.S. from Honduras at age 8 with his family after they fled gang violence and sought asylum. His asylum case and appeal were denied in 2023, with a final removal order issued. Despite having no criminal record and regularly checking in with ICE as required, he was deported to Honduras on June 17. After learning of her son's deportation, his mother Ada Bell Baquedano Amador—who had been ordered to wear an ankle monitor in April 2025—obtained passports and plane tickets. On June 24, Baquedano Amador and Colindres' sister self-deported to Honduras to reunite with him. The detention sparked protests from his soccer teammates and community members.

Caroline Dias Goncalves, a 19-year-old University of Utah nursing student from Brazil, was detained by ICE on June 5, 2025, following a traffic stop by a Mesa County Sheriff's deputy on Interstate 70 near Fruita, Colorado. The deputy shared information about her in a group chat used for drug interdiction efforts, which ICE agents then used to target her for immigration enforcement. Goncalves, who immigrated to the U.S. at age 7 and has a pending asylum application, was held at an ICE facility in Aurora, Colorado for 15 days, where she reported receiving poor quality food and confusing schedules, and observed differential treatment based on English proficiency. She was released on bond on June 20, 2025, and became a named plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against ICE leadership.

A man was arrested by ICE on June 15, 2025, in Anaheim, California, while entering a store. He has been detained for over 7 months despite being in the process of obtaining residency through USCIS and having no criminal record. He has suffered serious health complications including hospitalization for oxygen deprivation, legal injustices including attorney abandonment, and needs funds for legal representation before his final asylum hearing in June.

Gregory Sanabria Tarazona, a Venezuelan seeking asylum, was detained by ICE during a routine check-in in Houston. He was taken to an ICE processing center weeks before his preliminary hearing.

Sayed Naser, an Afghan national who worked as a translator and logistics contractor for U.S. military forces in Afghanistan, was detained by ICE agents during a routine immigration hearing at a San Diego courthouse on June 12, 2025. Naser entered the U.S. legally in July 2024 through humanitarian visa to Brazil and Mexico, and had been granted humanitarian parole while applying for a Special Immigrant Visa and asylum. His brother was killed by the Taliban in September 2023, forcing Naser and his family into hiding in Iran. According to his attorney Brian McGoldrick, Naser has no criminal record, an active asylum case, and his brother was granted asylum weeks before his detention. During the hearing, the government attempted to dismiss his asylum case without explanation, but the judge declined and gave Naser time to respond. Naser is being held at Otay Mesa Detention Center and is unable to contact his family, who remain in hiding in Iran during an internet blackout.

A mass protest occurred at Spokane's ICE facility after former City Council President Ben Stuckart called for people to prevent two asylum-seeking immigrants from being transported to a Tacoma detention center. Federal Homeland Security Investigations agents used physical force against protesters, while Spokane police later arrived and employed dialogue-based tactics. Three protesters—Bajun Mavalwalla II, Justice Forral, and Jac Archer—were charged with conspiring against ICE agents, and their trial examined the differing enforcement approaches.

Federal immigration officials conducted a raid targeting day laborers in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Santa Ana on Monday. A 50-year-old man from Peru was detained after agents arrived and began taking workers into custody, but was released after producing asylum seeker documents. The man said agents pointed guns at the group and took several people into custody in front of the store on MacArthur Boulevard.

Jesus, a Venezuelan seeking asylum, was detained by ICE while on his way to work in Southeast Portland. He has no criminal record and has complied with asylum process requirements. His detention has left his Guatemalan partner, who is pregnant and caring for a 9-year-old son, without her partner and primary breadwinner.

Dzhakhar Aslambekov, a 27-year-old Russian citizen, entered the US in February 2024 and was initially released on parole in March 2024. In June 2025, ICE re-arrested him through a targeted enforcement operation after he had been working as a delivery driver and complying with immigration proceedings. The court ordered his immediate release, finding his re-detention without a hearing violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights.

Randy Mesa Padrón, a 30-year-old Cuban barber, was detained by ICE on June 3, 2025, immediately after an immigration judge dismissed his asylum case without hearing his attorney's arguments. Mesa had entered the U.S. legally in February 2022 with an I-220A parole form and attended all required appointments. ICE officers were waiting in the courthouse hallway and arrested him as he left, transferring him first to a detention center in Pompano Beach where he was pressured to sign a voluntary deportation order within 24 hours, which he refused. He was later moved to Adams County Correctional Center in Mississippi. His wife launched a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $5,000 for legal defense, while his attorney pursued an appeal and habeas corpus petition challenging the detention. As of June 2025, Mesa remained in custody over a year after his initial detention.

An 11th grade student from Queens was detained by ICE agents outside a local courthouse while attending a scheduled immigration court hearing to seek asylum. The student's whereabouts remain unknown to their family, causing significant distress. NYC Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles Ramos confirmed the detention and reaffirmed the school system's commitment to maintaining schools as safe spaces for all students.

ICE agents arrested multiple immigrants at the San Antonio Immigration Court on May 29, 2025, as they appeared for scheduled court hearings. At least one individual, possibly a minor, was detained using a zip tie. The arrests included a family with four children and were witnessed by staff from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several migrants outside San Antonio Immigration Court on Thursday, including at least three families with seven people arrested in less than an hour. Activists confirmed that a 3-year-old child was loaded onto a bus with his mother and taken away by ICE. The detentions occurred as families appeared for court hearings.

Marina Lopez, a woman seeking asylum from Guatemala, was detained by ICE on June 4, 2025, during a routine check-in appointment and spent seven months in a Kentucky detention center. The federal government provided no evidence or explanation for her detention, and she was released on December 23, 2025, after a judge found the government had no record justifying her continued imprisonment. During her detention, her church community provided extensive support to her family, organizing fundraising, childcare, and daily assistance.

A 50-year-old El Salvador citizen who has lived in the U.S. for approximately 20 years was detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop in North Hills, California on June 3, 2025. ICE agents pulled over his vehicle, asked for documentation, and took him into custody after he could not establish lawful immigration status. The court granted a temporary restraining order requiring his immediate release from the Adelanto ICE Processing Center where he had been held for over 10 months.

A 24-year-old transgender asylum seeker from Mexico was detained by ICE officers outside a Portland immigration courtroom on June 2, 2025, after appearing for a scheduled court hearing. The woman, who fled Mexico after being raped and threatened by cartel members, had applied for asylum in February 2025 and was arrested in the courtroom lobby without being offered legal counsel or opportunity to be heard before detention.

An 18-year-old Milford High School student, Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, was detained by ICE agents off campus on Saturday while driving his father's vehicle. Da Silva came to the United States on a student visa in 2012 that has since lapsed, and he intends to apply for asylum. A federal judge ordered he not be moved out of state for 72 hours following a habeas corpus petition filed by his attorney.

Marcelo Gomes da Silva, an 18-year-old high school student from Brazil who arrived in the U.S. at age 7, was arrested by ICE agents in May 2025 while driving to volleyball practice because his student visa had expired. He was detained in a Burlington ICE facility under poor conditions, including sleeping on concrete floors without beds or windows. After his release on bond, he remained in legal limbo for several months. He received his high school diploma in May 2026 and was invited by Congressman Seth Moulton to attend the State of the Union as a guest, where he planned to advocate for immigrants. His arrest and resilience were publicly acknowledged during his high school's commencement ceremony.

Yasmir Marquez, a Venezuelan man with a pending asylum claim and authorization to live and work in the United States, was detained by federal immigration officials outside the Richard C. White Federal Building in El Paso immediately following his immigration hearing on May 29, 2025.

A Guatemalan national identified as O.C.G. who was deported to Mexico has been returned to the United States following a federal judge's order. O.C.G. had sought asylum after experiencing violence in Guatemala and during border transit. He is now in ICE custody while his case challenging third-country deportations proceeds through the courts.

Marta Alicia Dominguez, 51, from El Salvador, was arrested by Dallas Police in May 2025 on a family dispute charge. After her criminal case was dismissed, ICE placed a detainer and transferred her to custody. She presented herself at the Paso del Norte port of entry in 2017 and was granted entry after a credible fear interview. A judge granted her asylum in October 2025, but DHS filed an appeal and continues to hold her in Eloy Detention Center. She has contracted Hepatitis A and B, lost 30 pounds, and her health has significantly declined while in detention.

ICE agents arrested multiple individuals outside the Phoenix immigration court on Tuesday, May 21, 2025, including at least two people immediately after their court hearings. One documented case involved a Venezuelan man in his 20s who had entered through the CBP One program and was preparing for a credible fear interview. Attorneys noted that some individuals whose cases appeared to be dismissed were taken into custody. The arrests followed a January DHS directive that reversed protections for courthouse arrests, a policy that had previously restricted ICE enforcement in sensitive locations. Similar enforcement actions occurred at immigration courts across the country, with agents in Los Angeles positioned to coordinate notifications when cases were dismissed. The Trump administration has expanded immigration enforcement by enlisting agents from multiple federal agencies including the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, ATF, and FBI.

A Guatemalan-born mother, identified by the pseudonym Maria Perez to protect her identity, was detained by ICE at her Nashville residence on May 19 while preparing to take her children to a doctor's appointment. At the time, Perez was breastfeeding her infant daughter and caring for another young daughter who has Down syndrome and other health complications. Her attorneys say her detention at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center violated ICE Directive 11032.4, which discourages detaining pregnant, postpartum, or nursing people, and that she has no criminal history despite ICE's claim she previously faced charges for falsely claiming citizenship. Perez was released on Aug. 14 after nearly three months in custody, was placed on electronic monitoring, and continues to pursue her asylum application.

A.D., a 16-year-old from Guinea, was arrested by Suffolk County Police on May 16, 2025, and transferred to ICE, which held him in an adult detention facility at Moshannon Valley Processing Center for nearly two months due to a clerical error. ICE mistakenly believed he was 26 years old based on a secondary school entrance exam document from Guinea that erroneously listed his birth year as 2000, despite multiple federal and state documents—including his passport, birth certificate, and HHS records—showing he was born in May 2009. Federal Judge Marilyn J. Horan ordered ICE to transfer A.D. into the custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement while conducting an age reassessment. A.D. had fled Guinea in December 2023 after local police threatened to burn down his family home due to their Fulani heritage, and had been living in a foster home overseen by New York City's Administration for Children's Services when he was arrested.

On June 11, two asylum seekers who reported for immigration court were detained by ICE in Spokane. A protest ensued where demonstrators blocked an ICE bus and deflated its tires. Military veteran Bajun Mavalwalla II, who participated in the protest, was arrested by FBI agents at his home on July 15.

Daniela Joly Serrano Landin, a 24-year-old Colombian asylum seeker married to an active-duty U.S. Army soldier, was arrested by ICE on May 12 after an ankle monitor malfunctioned, despite being granted parole. She was held at the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia and later transferred to El Paso Processing Center. On Wednesday, she was released on a $10,000 bond after a hearing where her attorney argued her case.

Two U.S. citizen children, ages 5 and 4, were deported to Mexico after their mother was lured to an immigration processing appointment under false pretenses. The mother, who was told she would be eligible for asylum and a work permit if she appeared for a routine check-in, was instead deported to Reynosa, Mexico along with her three children. The two youngest children are U.S. citizens who were deported without proper legal process or opportunity for informed consent from their mother.

A pregnant Guatemalan woman became lost in the Arizona desert near the U.S.-Mexico border while attempting to cross. She navigated dangerous terrain while pregnant and provided a firsthand account of her experience.

A 21-year-old Colombian woman who was eight months pregnant was deported from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport. She had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in November seeking asylum but was subject to expedited removal. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to stop the deportation, but the order came approximately three hours after the flight had departed.

Luis Fernando Cabrera, an 18-year-old senior at Northeast Early College High School in Austin, was released from ICE custody on May 20, 2026, after being detained on May 1 while driving home from his job at Popeyes. A federal judge ordered his release and barred the Department of Homeland Security from deporting him while his ongoing asylum case is processed. Cabrera will be able to attend his high school graduation.

Marie Ange Blaise, a 44-year-old Haitian woman, died on April 25, 2025, at Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, Florida, after spending more than 10 weeks in ICE custody. She had been detained since mid-February after being stopped at an airport in Saint Croix, Virgin Islands without a valid immigrant visa, and was transferred through multiple facilities including San Juan, Krome North Processing Center in Miami, and a Louisiana facility. According to fellow detainees, Blaise experienced what appeared to be a seizure while in a kneeling position. When other women began screaming for help, guards ignored their pleas. One officer approached, looked at Blaise without intervening, and walked away. It took approximately eight minutes for a medical provider to arrive and another 15 to 20 minutes for a rescue team. She was pronounced dead shortly after. Following her death, facility staff told the women to stop making comments about what they had witnessed.

A family of six asylum seekers from southwestern Africa — parents Josefina and José and their four children, ages 13, 10, 5 and 11 months — were held in a single windowless cell at a CBP facility in Blaine, Washington for about a month starting in April 2025, according to an ACLU complaint. Josefina, who was five months into a high-risk pregnancy, was hospitalized twice during the detention after CBP staff allegedly kept her in unsafe conditions despite hospital warnings, and she suffered pregnancy complications. The children reportedly went weeks without mental stimulation or physical activity, and the 13-year-old was allegedly handcuffed when taken to shower. The ACLU of Washington filed a federal claim seeking $15 million in damages from the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection, one of 54 such claims filed nationwide in July under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Two hundred migrants, including 80 children from Afghanistan, Russia, Armenia, Iran, China and other Asian countries, were deported from the United States on two flights and detained at Costa Rica's CATEM immigration detention center in February 2025. Many were separated from family members still in the U.S., not informed of their deportation destination, and experienced abuse and rights violations in U.S. detention before being sent to Costa Rica.

A Houstonian who fled Honduras due to threats related to his sexual orientation was detained by ICE. Political groups have spoken out against the detention.

Juan Francisco Mendez, a 29-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, was released from the Strafford County Jail on May 15, 2025, after being detained for 30 days following his April 14 arrest in New Bedford. An immigration judge set his bail at $1,500, the lowest amount possible, and Mendez was released wearing an ankle monitor. ICE agents had smashed his car window with an ax during the initial traffic stop while Mendez and his wife waited for their lawyer. Mendez is now working toward reunification with his wife and 9-year-old son.

A disgraced former Milwaukee police officer with serious credibility issues, Charles Cross Jr., signed a report claiming a gay Venezuelan makeup artist was affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang based on tattoos. The report played a key role in the man's deportation to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center. Cross had been flagged by prosecutors as having credibility issues due to accusations of lying and breaking the law.

Jesús Eduardo Marín, a Venezuelan national who has lived in the United States for 12 years with his wife and three children, was detained by Border Patrol agents on April 8 during a traffic stop in Miami, Florida. Although Marín had an active asylum case pending and was residing legally under that framework, authorities detained him after determining he lacked citizenship or permanent residency status. He was subsequently transferred to a detention facility.

Rubén González, a Venezuelan with a pending asylum case, was detained by ICE on March 22 after a traffic accident in Clermont. Despite having valid work authorization, a temporary driver's license, and proper documentation, González was transferred to an immigration detention facility in Jacksonville. His sister confirmed he had been complying with legal procedures, and immigration rights organizations are questioning the legality of the detention given his protected status.

Solangel Manzanilla, a 68-year-old Venezuelan woman, was detained by Border Patrol on April 2 after leaving work at an LA Fitness gym in Fort Lauderdale where she worked in childcare. She had been in the U.S. for 12 years with a pending asylum claim, valid work authorization, and a current driver's license. An officer noted she had a good profile but stated she had to be detained due to her immigration status. Her family reports she has medical conditions requiring attention and has launched a fundraising campaign to cover legal expenses.

A Nicaraguan asylum seeker is a citizen and national of Nicaragua who has lived in the United States since September 2021. He is married and living with his wife in California. He fled Nicaragua after police beat him for participating in anti-government protests, fracturing his arm. He was detained by DHS upon arrival in the US but released in October 2021 on reporting requirements to ICE, which he never missed. On September 14, 2023, he applied for asylum and received work authorization. In April 2025, he reported for a routine ICE appointment and was detained without notice or hearing despite full compliance with check-in requirements. He was transferred between multiple detention facilities where he suffered inhumane conditions, including excessive heat in transport vehicles, contaminated food and water, and injury from handcuffs. An immigration judge released him on a $5,000 bond in June 2025, and he was placed in ICE's Intensive Supervision Appearance Program. On July 13, 2026, the immigration judge denied his asylum application and ordered removal to Nicaragua. He timely appealed. The federal court granted his preliminary injunction, prohibiting ICE from re-detaining him without a pre-detention hearing where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he is a flight risk or danger.