HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

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739 incidents with known locations

Afghan migrant dies in Iranian detention camp from heat and abuse

Jul 1, 2025Zabol, IranAfghanistan

A 60-year-old Afghan migrant, Baqir Rezaei, died in an Iranian detention camp in Zabol after being intercepted despite holding an official exit permit. He was held without food or water and forced to work under extreme heat conditions. According to his family, at least eight migrants died in the camp out of 35 who lost consciousness from heat and thirst.

Sanford grandfather detained by ICE after 70 years in U.S.

Jul 2025Sanford, FLPoland

Paul John Bojerski, 79, a Polish-born refugee who legally immigrated to the U.S. in 1952 and lived there for over 70 years, was detained by ICE in late October 2025 based on a decades-old deportation order from 1968. Despite having no passport and no country to return to, Bojerski was taken into custody after attending a routine ICE check-in and transferred to Alligator Alcatraz detention facility. His family reports his health has deteriorated significantly during detention, and he now awaits resolution of his case.

Portland mom Jackie Merlos detained by CBP, four U.S. citizen children separated and placed with family friend

Jul 2025Portland, ORHonduras

Jackie Merlos, an undocumented immigrant mother from Honduras with a pending U-visa, was detained by CBP agents on June 28, 2025, at Peace Arch Park near the U.S.-Canada border during a family picnic. Merlos, a well-regarded local business owner who had lived in Portland, Oregon for decades, was held in a CBP facility for 12 days. An ICE agent then called Merlos' friend Mimi Lettunich, demanding she immediately pick up Merlos' four U.S. citizen children—9-year-old triplets and a 7-year-old—or they would be placed in foster care. Lettunich, who had not cared for young children in years and had a full-time job, took the children into her home. Federal authorities attempted to deport Merlos without proper documentation or due process, but a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the children's removal. As of July 2025, Merlos remained in ICE custody at a facility in Tacoma, Washington, separated from her children and facing formal removal proceedings.

Irish woman freed after five months detained by ICE

Jul 2025Chicago, ILIreland

Donna Brown-Hughes, an Irish woman who has lived in America for 47 years, was detained by ICE for five months after returning from a trip to Ireland. She was arrested in Chicago due to two dishonored checks from 13 and 10 years prior. She was subsequently released and reunited with her family in Missouri. During detention, she reported conditions including unsanitary facilities, pest infestations, and inadequate food and utilities.

15-year-old detained at Florida immigration facility designed for adults

Jul 1, 2025Tampa, FLMexico

A 15-year-old Mexican national was detained by Florida Highway Patrol in Tampa and transferred to Alligator Alcatraz, a detention facility in the Florida Everglades designed for adult detainees. The teenager initially claimed to be an adult, but was transferred to a shelter for migrant children after his age was confirmed. State and federal officials initially did not acknowledge the minor had been held at the facility before acknowledging it after media confirmation.

Russian and Kyrgyzstani asylum seekers face months-long detention in Houston facilities

Jun 29, 2025Houston, TX

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.

Russian asylum seeker detained eight months, denied medical care in Houston facility

Jun 29, 2025Houston, TXRussia

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.

Italian dual citizen detained at Florida ICE facility after traffic stop, seeks release

Jun 25, 2025Martin County, FLItaly

Fernando Eduardo Artese, 63, a dual Italian-Argentinian citizen working as a security camera technician, was stopped during a routine traffic stop on June 25, 2025, while driving with his family in a camper van. Officers discovered an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court for a driving violation. Artese had been living legally in the US since 2018 under the Visa Waiver Program and was planning to self-deport and relocate to Argentina with his family. He was detained and transferred to the ICE facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in the Florida Everglades, where his family reports he has been denied information about his case and access to legal representation.

Canadian permanent resident dies in ICE custody after preventable kidney failure, family seeks answers

Jun 23, 2025Washington, DC

Johnny Noviello, a 49-year-old Canadian permanent resident and U.S. citizen since 1991, died on June 23, 2025, in ICE custody at Federal Detention Center Miami after being detained for approximately 40 days. He was arrested by ICE on May 15 in Daytona Beach and transferred to the Miami facility on May 19 following a 2023 drug trafficking conviction and faced removal proceedings. An autopsy determined he died from acute kidney failure caused by calcium oxalate crystal deposits. Six kidney specialists concluded the death was preventable, noting symptoms would have been detectable for days and treatable through dialysis. ICE records documented he had health issues including hypertension, convulsions, and abnormal vital signs during detention. A complaint alleges Bureau of Prisons medical staff failed to document an evaluation or create a treatment plan after he appeared dizzy and unstable. The FBI is investigating his death.

Canadian green card holder Johnny Noviello dies in ICE custody after medical neglect

Jun 23, 2025Miami, FLCanada

Johnny Noviello, a 49-year-old Canadian lawful permanent resident who had lived in Florida for nearly four decades, died on June 23, 2025, while in ICE custody at the Federal Detention Center Miami. Noviello was arrested by ICE on May 15, 2025, following drug trafficking and related criminal convictions, and was awaiting removal proceedings. During his approximately five-week detention, Noviello—who had epilepsy, hypertension, and mental health concerns—reported health issues and symptoms of illness but did not receive adequate medical monitoring or treatment. He was found unresponsive in the afternoon and pronounced dead after CPR and emergency response efforts failed. An autopsy determined the cause of death was acute kidney failure caused by calcium oxalate crystal deposits, which experts concluded was preventable with appropriate medical care. A complaint alleges that Bureau of Prisons health staff failed to properly evaluate, document, or create a treatment plan for Noviello despite observable symptoms. The FBI is investigating his death.

Construction worker detained at Metro stop after warrantless arrest by armed agents

Jun 18, 2025Los Angeles, CA

Pedro Vasquez Perdomo, a 54-year-old Latino man, has lived in Pasadena, California for decades and works as a day laborer in construction while managing diabetes. On June 18, 2025, at 5:30 a.m., he was waiting at a Metro stop near Orange Grove Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue with coworkers to be picked up for a construction job when four large black vehicles with tinted windows arrived. Armed men wearing masks but no visible badges or identification emerged with guns and surrounded him and his coworkers. Perdomo was handcuffed without being informed of any warrant and stated his right to remain silent in English. He was taken to a CVS parking lot where officers searched his pockets, found his expired foreign consular ID, and placed him in a car. He was transported to a detention center in Los Angeles where he was held in a crowded room with 52 others, given minimal food and water, and provided no medical attention for six days despite his diabetes requiring daily medication management. He was then transferred to Adelanto detention facility where he remains shackled and continues to experience health deterioration and psychological distress. Vasquez Perdomo is challenging his detention and the conditions thereof through this litigation.

Brazilian student detained 15 days after traffic stop, now suing ICE

Jun 20, 2025Grand Junction, COBrazil

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.

Salvadoran mother detained while pregnant for 3.5 months despite ICE policy, witnesses miscarriages

Jun 19, 2025San Fernando, CAEl Salvador

Lorena Pineda, a 27-year-old Salvadoran mother of two, was arrested by ICE agents on June 19, 2025, while five months pregnant at a food stand in California. Despite ICE policy prohibiting detention of pregnant women for administrative violations, an agent told her he would not release her. She was transferred through multiple detention facilities—Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Atlanta, Alexandria, and finally South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana—where she was held for over 3.5 months separated from her young children by 1,500 miles. At the facility, she was housed with at least 20 other pregnant women and witnessed multiple miscarriages, including a woman carrying twins. She received inadequate prenatal care, poor nutrition, and was unable to contact her family for the first month. After three months, she signed papers for voluntary self-deportation to El Salvador with a departure date extended to March due to her full-term pregnancy.

Colombian family detained at routine ICE check-in, deported despite medical needs and legal efforts

Jun 19, 2025Dilley, TXColombia

Nicolle Orozco Forero, her husband Juan Sebastian Moreno Acosta, and their two sons were detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas in June 2025 after arriving for a routine ICE check-in appointment. The family, who had been living in Seattle for two years, were separated by gender during their three-week detention. Their son Juan David, who had a serious kidney condition requiring medical treatment including a recommended biopsy, was denied adequate medical care by ICE officials. Despite legal efforts and community mobilization including support from U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro, the family was eventually deported.

Migrant families describe prolonged detention in border facilities

Jun 17, 2025

Migrant families with young children, including toddlers, were held for days and sometimes weeks in US Customs and Border Protection facilities with jail-like conditions, according to interviews conducted by attorneys and submitted to federal court. The filings reveal details of families detained in 2025 in border facilities not designed for that purpose, including cases where children were held for over 40 days in crowded rooms without windows. Attorneys argue CBP detention violates the 1997 Flores settlement agreement, which requires children be released without unnecessary delay and dictates conditions of custody.

ICE mistakenly puts Indian national on Alaska flight during deportation

Jun 17, 2025Tacoma, WAIndia

Rakesh Rakesh, an Indian national detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, was granted voluntary departure to India. On May 31, 2025, ICE officers escorted him to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and mistakenly placed him on an Alaska Airlines flight to Sitka, Alaska instead of his intended connecting flight through New York to India. Flight attendants alerted ICE officers to the error, but officers directed his boarding anyway. Upon landing in Sitka, the Alaska Airlines captain assisted Rakesh and arranged his return to Seattle. However, ICE re-detained him upon arrival rather than allowing him to continue to India. He remained in the Tacoma detention center for 16 additional days, during which he undertook a hunger strike, before being released and facilitated to depart for India on June 17, 2025.

ICE detainees fill North Dakota jails as federal detention space runs out

Jun 15, 2025Bismarck, ND

Seventeen people detained by federal immigration agents were held at the Burleigh/Morton Detention Center in Bismarck as ICE exceeded the 41,500 beds funded by Congress, holding over 48,000 people nationally. North Dakota facilities absorbed overflow detainees.

Four detainees escape Newark ICE facility through wall; two recaptured, two at large

Jun 15, 2025Newark, NJColombia

Four detainees escaped from Delaney Hall, a privately-owned immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, on June 12-13, 2025, by breaking through inadequately constructed interior and exterior walls. The escape occurred amid reports of disorder at the facility, including complaints about delayed meals, poor conditions, overcrowding, and unhygienic facilities. Two of the escapees—Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez from Honduras and Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada from Colombia—were recaptured by federal authorities by June 12-13. Two others—Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes and Andres Felipe Pineda-Mogollon, a Colombian national—remained at large as of mid-June, with the FBI offering up to $10,000 for information leading to their arrests. All four face federal charges of escape from custody. DHS stated the escapees have criminal histories, and facility management announced plans to move detainees out over the following 24 hours.

ICE arrests DACA recipient deaf man at California car wash

Jun 12, 2025Temple City, CAMexico

Javier Diaz Santana, a 32-year-old deaf DACA recipient with no criminal history, was arrested by ICE agents during a raid at a car wash in Temple City, California on June 12, 2025. Despite being deaf and unable to communicate, agents confiscated his phone and wallet, handcuffed him, and transported him to an El Paso detention center without explaining his detention or accommodating his disability. He was released on July 8 after his attorney provided proof of his DACA status to authorities.

Salvadoran Activist Douglas Menjivar Arrested by ICE, Departs Voluntarily

Jun 10, 2025Houston, TXEl Salvador

Douglas Menjivar, a 50-year-old Salvadoran immigrant and activist who exposed sexual assault in immigration detention, was arrested by ICE in June 2025 during a routine check-in despite being married to a U.S. citizen and having a reopened legal case. After being detained at Montgomery County ICE facility and struggling with mental health issues, Menjivar and his wife decided he would voluntarily depart to Spain rather than face deportation, leaving behind his wife who had lived in the U.S. her entire life.

Husband deported to Mexico after car wash raid, family faces decade-long reunification process

Jun 9, 2025Westchester, CAMexico

Nohemi Cruz's husband was detained at Westchester Hand Wash and subsequently deported to Mexico following an immigration raid. Cruz reported that her husband was injured during the raid, denied healthcare and legal representation, and forced to sign his own deportation order before being allowed basic amenities like a shower and a three-minute phone call. The family now faces a processing timeline of eight to ten years to attempt reunification.

34-year US resident detained with no country to deport him to

Jun 9, 2025Estancia, NMKazakhstan

Sergei Izbitski, a 46-year-old who has lived in the U.S. for 34 years after leaving Kazakhstan as a boy, was arrested by ICE on June 9 and transported to the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia, New Mexico. Izbitski is not a Kazakhstani citizen, making deportation impossible. He has no criminal history and operated a successful painting and remodeling business in New Jersey. After a prior deportation attempt failed, he was placed on immigration supervision. A U.S. Magistrate Judge recommended his release on conditions, though his case remained pending. Izbitski is among more than 100 individuals detained in New Mexico challenging the Trump administration's interpretation of immigration law that subjects long-term residents to mandatory detention without bond hearings.

Cuban barber detained by ICE after asylum hearing dismissed, family seeks legal help

Jun 8, 2025Natchez, MSCuba

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.

Over 40 garment workers arrested in LA raid, families still struggling a year later

Jun 6, 2025Los Angeles, CAMexico

On June 6, 2024, federal immigration agents conducted a raid on Ambiance Apparel, a garment factory in downtown Los Angeles, arresting over 40 workers, many from Zapotec Indigenous communities. The operation separated families and triggered legal challenges and advocacy organizing. One year later, affected workers and families continue to face economic hardship, emotional trauma, and pending immigration proceedings. Advocates including Lucha Zapoteca secured the release of 11 of 14 initially detained family members and raised over $300,000 in support, though some workers remain in federal custody and others have been deported.

ICE contractor detained immigrant mother and baby at O'Hare hotel

Jun 5, 2025Chicago, ILColombia

Valentina Galvis and her seven-month-old U.S. citizen son were detained by ICE contractor MVM Inc. at a Sonesta hotel near O'Hare Airport for five days in June after being apprehended at Chicago's immigration court. During their detention, Galvis was denied access to phone calls, her location was falsely listed as Washington, D.C., and she was kept in a hotel suite with guards monitoring her at all times.

Queens high school student detained at court hearing, held in overcrowded ICE cells, released after six weeks

Jun 4, 2025Queens, NYEcuador

Derlis Snaider Chusin Toaquiza, a 19-year-old 11th grader from Ecuador at Grover Cleveland High School in Queens, was detained by ICE on June 4, 2025, during a scheduled immigration court hearing. He was initially held at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City in severely overcrowded conditions—confined in a room so crowded he could not lie down and forced to sleep sitting up with approximately two dozen other people. Over two days of detention at that facility, he was given only two meals total. He was then moved to a gymnasium inside the facility that was equally overcrowded with no beds, blankets, or access to basic necessities. After six weeks in a Texas detention facility, the Envision Freedom Fund posted his $20,000 bond, and he was released on July 18, 2025, to reunite with his family.

ICE releases Chicago-area mother after seven months in detention

Jun 4, 2025Chicago, ILGuatemala

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.

Mexican immigrant with stay of deportation unexpectedly detained and deported during routine check-in

Jun 3, 2025Tallahassee, FLMexico

Maria Isidro, a 52-year-old Mexican immigrant known as 'Nana Maria' who had lived in the U.S. since 1998 and held an annual stay of deportation, was detained and deported to Mexico after what she believed was a routine immigration check-in in Tallahassee on June 3. She was held for eight days before being transported by van and plane to Matamoros, Mexico on June 11, where she was dropped off at the border with no support. Isidro, who had never missed an immigration check-in and was approved for an I-130 family petition in 2023, described harsh conditions during detention and transport, including shackling, minimal food and water, and bathroom restrictions. She has been married for 31 years and has four children and a husband remaining in Florida.

Iranian woman's mental health medications withheld following detention in post-bombing sweep

Jun 2025Batavia, NYIran

Arzou Hami, an Iranian woman suffering from serious mental health issues, was detained in June 2025 as part of a sweep of Iranian migrants following U.S. military action against Iran. She was detained by Buffalo ICE agents at the Niagara County Jail before being transferred to Texas. Her attorney alleged in court filings that her detention prevented her from receiving mental health medications. Her attorney reported she has received some medication, but it is not the same as what she was previously prescribed.

Joselyn Chipantiza-Sisalema, 20, held 10 days in NYC ICE facility with lights never turned off

Jun 2025Manhattan, NY

Joselyn Chipantiza-Sisalema, age 20, was detained at 26 Federal Plaza for 10 days where conditions included lights that were never shut off and unbearable summer heat. She was provided minimal food—often just cookies thrown into the detention area—and had to beg staff for food and water. She was eventually released from ICE custody following a federal judge's order. She stated: "We had to beg the people working there that they gave us something to eat, they didn't even give us water. Sometimes a few cookies they'd throw in there. A human being doesn't deserve to be treated that way. They had us in there like animals."

Roberto Chilavert Olmedo detained for days in overcrowded NYC ICE facility

Jun 2025Manhattan, NY

Roberto Chilavert Olmedo was held at 26 Federal Plaza for days during the summer 2025 surge in ICE arrests. In written testimony presented to the federal court, he described the experience as a nightmare, stating: "My time at 26 Federal Plaza still haunts me. It is a nightmare and I cannot believe that human beings can be treated like that in a place like the United States."

Brazilian student detained by ICE, released after months, attends State of the Union as guest

May 31, 2025Milford, MABrazil

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.

Arizona congresswoman demands answers about Eloy Detention Center conditions

May 29, 2025Eloy, AZ

Rep. Yassamin Ansari visited the Eloy Detention Center in late May and spoke with over 20 detainees who reported forced outdoor walking until fainting, manipulated air conditioning, and sickness. Ansari requested information from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the reported conditions.

Green card holder detained by ICE after Mexico trip

May 24, 2025Chicago, ILMexico

Gonzalo Ladron de Guevara, a lawful permanent resident since 2003, was detained by ICE in May 2025 after returning to Chicago from Mexico where he had scattered his mother's ashes. He was held for seven days by CBP for secondary screening before being transferred to ICE custody and charged federally. The detention is linked to a dismissed felony fraud charge from approximately 13 years prior related to prescription fraud.

Woman granted asylum detained nearly a year at Eloy, DHS appeals despite legal entry

May 21, 2025Eloy, AZEl Salvador

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.

16-year-old from Guinea held in adult ICE detention nearly two months due to clerical error

May 16, 2025PennsylvaniaGuinea

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.

Ukrainian immigrant released after detention following green card interview

May 8, 2025San Diego, CAUkraine

Viktoriia Bulavina, a Ukrainian immigrant married to a U.S. citizen and applying for permanent residency, was arrested by ICE immediately after a green card interview in downtown San Diego. She was detained for three days in poor conditions, including an open toilet in view of guards, expired food, and denial of medication. Federal immigration officials released her after media coverage and attorney intervention.

Border Czar Tom Homan Secretly Deported Two U.S. Citizen Children

May 7, 2025Austin, TXMexico

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.

Pregnant Colombian woman deported despite medical distress

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May 5, 2025Atlanta, GAColombia

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.

Construction worker Abelardo Avellaneda Delgado dies during ICE transfer in Georgia

May 5, 2025Weston, GAMexico

Abelardo Avellaneda Delgado, a 68-year-old construction worker who had lived in the United States for 40 years, died on May 5, 2025, while being transported from Lowndes County Jail to Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. The coroner suspected an aortic aneurysm as the cause of death, though the exact cause remained under investigation. According to his family, Delgado had no prior health conditions but was placed in a wheelchair during his detention and given medications he had never taken before. He had been detained multiple times since 1979 as an undocumented immigrant.

Trump administration jails immigrants in federal prisons with horrific conditions

May 1, 2025

The Trump administration has expanded immigration detention by moving hundreds of immigrants to federal prisons run by the Bureau of Prisons. Detainees report conditions including moldy food, overcrowding, denial of legal access, being cut off from attorneys and families, and being moved without notice to facilities across the country including Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, Berlin, and Leavenworth.

Chinese man collapsed from unmedicated diabetes and hypertension in ICE detention

May 2025Newark, NJChina

Sen Miao Lin, a 67-year-old Chinese man, was detained at Delaney Hall ICE detention center where he repeatedly asked for but never received medication for his Type 2 diabetes and hypertension for nearly a month. At one point during his detention, he collapsed, lost consciousness, and was rushed to the emergency room. His attorney filed a federal lawsuit alleging this medical neglect in May 2025. His case is one of over 70 lawsuits filed by detainees at Delaney Hall alleging medical neglect and deficiencies at the facility.

ICE Deports 3 U.S. Citizen Children Held Incommunicado

Apr 25, 2025New Orleans, LA

ICE deported at least two families including three U.S. citizen children aged 2, 4, and 7 from New Orleans in early morning operations on April 25, 2025. The families were held without legal access. One child with metastatic cancer was deported without medication and a pregnant mother was deported without prenatal care arrangements. The deportations occurred after ICE reversed course and expedited the process before courts reopened. A habeas corpus petition had been filed.

Haitian woman dies in ICE custody after chest pain complaints ignored

Apr 25, 2025Deerfield Beach, FLHaiti

Marie Blaise, a 44-year-old Haitian woman, died at the Broward Transitional Center in Florida on April 25, 2025, after complaining of chest pains for hours. Detention staff took her blood pressure, discovered hypertension, gave her pills, and told her to rest. Hours later she began shaking and screaming about chest pain and was pronounced dead at 8:35 p.m. She had been detained at the facility for 20 days after being arrested on February 12 at Saint Croix International Airport for attempting to board a flight without a valid visa and subsequently issued an expedited removal notice.

U.S. citizen child with Stage 4 cancer deported to Honduras without medication

Apr 25, 2025Honduras

A 4-year-old U.S. citizen child with Stage 4 cancer and his 7-year-old sister were deported to Honduras with their mother on Friday morning. ICE was aware of the child's active cancer treatment in the United States but deported him without his medication. Attorneys say the mother did not sign or write any consent, did not speak with lawyers or family before deportation, and wanted to make alternative arrangements for her U.S. citizen children.

Haitian woman dies in ICE custody after guards ignored screams for help

Apr 25, 2025Pompano Beach, FLHaiti

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.

Detained immigrants report worms in drinking water at Adelanto ICE facility

Apr 24, 2025Adelanto, CAUS

Detained immigrants at Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County reported finding worms in their drinking water. Video footage shared by detainees appeared to show contaminated water. Detainees said they were afraid to speak up about conditions to facility staff, fearing retaliation, and instead alerted their families so people outside would know. When staff learned of the situation, they attributed the contamination to sinks. The facility, which holds approximately 2,000 people, had previously faced complaints about murky and dirty water and improperly cooked food.

Honduran DACA recipient detained 12 days, deported despite pending legal request

Apr 23, 2025Alexandria, LAHonduras

Amilcar Lisser-Posadas, a 29-year-old Honduran national and former DACA recipient with two U.S. citizen daughters, was apprehended in Shelby County, Tennessee in March 2025 for driving with an expired license and transferred to ICE custody. He was moved between multiple detention facilities over four weeks and filed a legal request citing fear of persecution in Honduras, which received no response. At Alexandria Staging Facility, he was detained for approximately 12 days in overcrowded conditions with inadequate sanitation, food, and medical care—arriving sick with chest congestion, fever, and ear infection but receiving no medication until the final two days. On April 23, 2025, he was deported to Honduras on GlobalX charter flights despite his pending legal request. He was later apprehended again at the southern border in May 2025 attempting to reunite with his family and is now facing deportation again from a federal prison.

Family of six detained in windowless Blaine CBP cell for weeks, ACLU says

Apr 22, 2025Blaine, WA

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.

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