Human Impact Project

A Cuban citizen who entered the U.S. in 2019 was re-arrested by ICE on March 4, 2026, during a routine maritime inspection on a fishing vessel in Florida. He had previously been released on bond by an immigration judge and had employment authorization through April 2030. The federal court ordered his immediate release, finding that his re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated due process.

ICE is deporting crime survivors who have long been protected by Congress through programs like the U-Visa, Violence Against Women Act, and T-Visa for trafficking survivors. A multi-state class-action lawsuit challenges the Trump administration's 2025 ICE guidance that rescinds policies protecting these groups from deportation. Plaintiff Yessenia Ruano, a former Milwaukee teacher's aide with a pending T-Visa application, self-deported to El Salvador with her U.S. citizen children after ICE threatened her during a check-in.

A Laotian refugee who entered the United States in 1988 as a child refugee and was adjusted to lawful permanent resident status was detained by ICE on March 3, 2026, when he reported to the ICE office in Portland, Oregon. He was taken to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. He has a U.S. citizen spouse, one child, and four step-children. A final removal order to Laos was entered on January 5, 2012, but he had been released on Orders of Supervision since May 2015 based on nonremovability. On January 8, 2026, his spouse filed an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. He was served with a Notice of Revocation of Release citing changed circumstances making removal reasonably foreseeable. On April 10, 2026, ICE obtained a Laissez-Passer from Laos valid for 90 days. He filed a habeas corpus petition and motion for temporary restraining order seeking to prevent his removal and transfer pending the court's consideration of his case. On May 1, 2026, the federal magistrate judge denied his motion, finding he had not shown a likelihood of success on the merits because ICE had obtained a valid travel document establishing an unchallenged basis for his detention.

A noncitizen who had been previously released on bond or conditional parole was re-detained by immigration authorities on March 3, 2026. The court found that the Due Process Clause requires the government to provide a pre-deprivation bond hearing before a neutral arbiter when re-detaining someone who was previously released. The court ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to detention.

An immigration detainee who had previously been released on bond or conditional parole was re-detained on March 3, 2026. The court found that the government violated due process by re-detaining him without providing a pre-deprivation bond hearing before a neutral arbiter. The court ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to detention and required the government to provide seven days' notice and a proper hearing before any future re-detention.

Jorge Calderon Rivera, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who had lived in Omaha for approximately a decade with no criminal record, was detained by ICE agents on January 17, 2026, during a traffic stop while driving to work. He was held at McCook ICE facility for two months without receiving a bond hearing to which he was entitled. The ACLU of Nebraska and the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement filed a federal lawsuit on his behalf challenging the detention. U.S. District Judge Susan Bazis issued an order on March 3, 2026, finding the detention had an "unlawful aspect" and directing immigration officials to provide Calderon with a bond hearing within seven days. An immigration judge later granted his release on bond, and he was reunited with his wife and three children. He remains in deportation proceedings.

Darwing Inocente Xitumul Morales, a Guatemalan worker, was returned to ICE custody after an immigration judge ruled he was a danger to the community and denied him bond on March 2. Morales had been arrested in New Bedford on February 11 and briefly released after a federal judge ordered his release and a bond hearing. He is now being held at Plymouth County Correctional Facility pending a hearing scheduled for April 23.

A Peruvian citizen entered the U.S. without inspection in May 2022 and was released on humanitarian parole three days later. After complying with supervision requirements for nearly four years, he was re-detained by ICE at a scheduled reporting appointment on March 2, 2026, without written notice terminating his parole. The court ordered his release, finding his detention without a hearing violated due process.

Tatyana Reisini and Kristen Roos, two Charlotte mothers, were chased by federal Border Patrol agents on November 17, 2025, while driving to the Southern Christmas Show. Agents surrounded their vehicle in a parking lot, pursued them into a residential neighborhood, and cornered them in a driveway where an agent pointed an assault rifle at Reisini's face and smashed the car windows with the gun, scattering glass onto her. Roos was 10 days post-surgery at the time. Both women were zip-tied and falsely imprisoned at an FBI office for approximately four hours. They were initially charged with assaulting federal officers, but the U.S. Attorney's Office voluntarily dismissed the charges on March 2, 2026. Video of the incident recorded by a neighbor received nearly 9 million views on social media. Through the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, the women filed a Federal Tort Claims Act notice against U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Department of Homeland Security, seeking $3 million in damages and attorneys' fees.

A man who entered the United States without inspection on October 3, 2022, was subsequently encountered by immigration authorities. DHS exercised its discretionary parole authority to formally parole him into the United States. On March 2, 2026, he was re-detained by ICE at Golden State Annex. He filed a federal habeas corpus petition on June 3, 2026, challenging his detention and seeking immediate release under the same conditions prior to re-detention, as well as procedures to prevent future re-detention without due process. On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California granted his petition, ordering his immediate release and enjoining ICE from re-detaining him absent exigent circumstances without providing notice and a pre-detention hearing before an immigration judge where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he is a danger or flight risk.

Kamal Morales, a 40-year-old counselor at a South Bronx HIV clinic, was detained on March 2, 2026, during a routine immigration check and deported to Venezuela despite a pending federal court case and marriage to a U.S. citizen. Judge Michael J. McShane ruled on March 30 that Morales' re-detention lacked legal basis and ordered the government to show cause by April 7, but Morales was deported before the government responded. Morales had lived in the U.S. for 12 years, had no criminal record, and consistently appeared for required immigration appointments.

A U.S. District Judge in West Virginia issued a final notice to the federal government regarding continued unlawful detention of immigrants without individualized custody determinations. Judge Joseph R. Goodwin ruled that the government has repeatedly violated the Fifth Amendment by detaining immigrants without proper legal procedures. The judge warned of legal consequences for state and federal officials if the unlawful detention practices continue.

On January 7, 2026, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renée Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, queer mother of three, and writer, in Minneapolis during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation called Operation Metro Surge. Good was in her vehicle when ICE agents approached; as she drove away, Ross fired shots through the windshield, striking her multiple times. Bystander and cell phone footage contradicted federal claims that Good had used her vehicle as a weapon. The shooting sparked national protests and investigations. Good's death, along with the killing of Alex Pretti within the same two-week period, contributed to the removal and demotion of Border Patrol Commander-at-large Gregory Bovino and the firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in March 2026.

A Venezuelan citizen on humanitarian parole was detained by ICE in March 2026 when she accompanied her husband to his scheduled credible fear interview at the Nashville ICE Field Office. After her husband received a negative credible fear determination, both were taken into custody and she was transferred to Richwood Correctional Center. The court granted expedited consideration of her habeas petition but denied her temporary restraining order request.

A Kazakhstani man who had been released on recognizance and enrolled in the Alternative to Detention program since 2023 was detained by security personnel at Fort MacArthur/Los Angeles Air Force Base after allegedly attempting to enter without authorization. ERO officers took him into immigration custody and transported him to Desert View Annex. The court ordered his release, finding his re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated procedural due process.

A Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. without inspection in October 2022 was detained by ICE on March 1, 2026 after encountering local law enforcement and admitting he had entered the country without inspection. This was his first encounter with ICE officials. A federal court ordered his immediate release, finding he could only be detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) rather than the mandatory detention statute the government cited.

A Chinese citizen who fled persecution for his political views and applied for asylum in 2022 was abruptly re-detained by ICE in March 2026 after complying with immigration reporting requirements for over three years. He had been released on parole since arriving in September 2022 and has no criminal history. The court granted a preliminary injunction ordering his immediate release, finding his re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated due process rights.

Between March and April 2025, the Trump administration deported 238-252 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) mega-prison using the Alien Enemies Act. Internal DHS data revealed that only 32 had been convicted of U.S. crimes, with most convictions being for nonviolent offenses, and more than half had no U.S. criminal record at all, having only violated immigration laws. Approximately 75% of deportees had no criminal records in the United States, and at least 27 were never ordered removed despite pending immigration court hearings. Detainees were held incommunicado with no public list of names, facing reports of torture, beatings, sexual violence, and inhumane conditions including prolonged solitary confinement. The U.S. paid $6 million to use the facility for housing 300 migrants. A federal judge initially ordered the planes turned around and ruled the deportations violated due process. After approximately four months, the Venezuelans were transferred to Venezuela as part of a prisoner exchange, though the administration reported losing track of 137 migrants. In 2026, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of over 130 of these men to the United States for their immigration proceedings.

Rafael, a Brazilian rideshare and delivery driver, was detained by ICE at the Cristianitos Gate at Camp Pendleton while picking up a passenger on Saturday, despite holding valid work authorization and having no criminal history. He arrived in the U.S. on a regular visa in 2019 and filed for asylum shortly after, fearing political persecution and violence in Brazil. After nearly seven years in the immigration backlog, Rafael had his USCIS interview on February 3, 2026, and his attorney reported leaving the interview feeling confident about his case. However, the Trump administration's December pause on all asylum decisions has left him in indefinite limbo, unable to receive a final decision despite completing his interview. His friend Cameron Jones described him as "smart, funny, sarcastic, super hard-working" and "always there for you whenever you need him." Rafael is now held at Otay Mesa Detention Center with a hearing scheduled for March 12.

An asylum seeker who entered the United States in 2023 was initially detained by ICE but released on his own recognizance under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). He obtained employment and had no criminal history. In March 2026, ICE re-detained him at an ICE check-in appointment without notice or opportunity to be heard, claiming he was subject to mandatory detention under § 1225(b). The court granted his habeas corpus petition, finding that § 1226(a) applied and that the re-detention violated both the INA and his Fifth Amendment due process rights. The court ordered his immediate release by July 25, 2026.

Olman, a father of two from Central America who fled gang violence and death threats in his home country, was detained at an ICE voluntary check-in in Richmond in June 2025 and held at Caroline Detention Facility for nine months despite having no criminal record. His application for withholding of removal was denied, but he appealed. A federal judge ruled in March 2026 that the government unlawfully detained him beyond six months and noted that DHS appeared to falsify a notice claiming it was served before his detention. The judge ordered his release, and Olman was reunited with his wife Leyla and their two children in Staunton. His wife's asylum case was also opposed by DHS, and they were ordered to self-deport by April, though they appealed and remain in the country in a precarious legal situation. Olman has since returned to construction work but experienced psychological trauma during detention and fears an upcoming ICE check-in later in the year.

Haruna, a 39-year-old Ghanaian man with hepatitis B, was detained at Delaney Hall ICE detention center and taken to the hospital twice—last year and in March 2026—requiring a blood transfusion and surgery after his requests for medical help were answered late or not at all. A doctor who reviewed his medical records found that Delaney Hall staff failed to provide him with needed outpatient medical care and identified a pattern of insufficient ongoing care leading to health deterioration followed by emergency treatment only when his life was in danger. His case is among over 70 lawsuits filed by Delaney Hall detainees alleging medical neglect and deficiencies.

An Armenian man in removal proceedings since 2022 was arrested by ICE agents at his home in March 2026 following a DUI citation. He had been living at liberty for over four years while his immigration case was pending. The court granted a temporary restraining order requiring his immediate release and mandating pre-detention hearings for any future arrests.

A longtime resident, who has lived continuously in the U.S. since entering without inspection in 2004, was arrested and detained by immigration officers on his way to work in March 2026. The court granted his habeas corpus petition in part, finding he is entitled to a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) since he is not subject to mandatory detention as an arriving noncitizen. The court ordered respondents to provide him a bond hearing before a neutral decisionmaker within seven days.

A.G., a 26-year-old Venezuelan national with a pending asylum application and valid work authorization, was detained by ICE agents outside his apartment in Orange County as he prepared to leave for work. Court records showed he was lawfully in the country. A federal judge ordered his release six days later without a hearing, but ICE retained his documents including his driver's license and work permit.

Bayron Rovidio Marin, an immigrant, was detained by federal agents in unmarked vehicles and sustained serious injuries. He was admitted to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center from August 27 to October 7, 2025, where ICE agents were stationed in his room under constant guard. During his hospitalization, hospital staff allowed federal agents to dictate his medical treatment, chain him to a bed, medicate him, and question him about his immigration status while restricting his access to family and attorneys. MALDEF filed a claim under California's Tort Claims Act seeking $250,000 in damages against Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for discriminatory treatment, privacy violations, and unlawful cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Will Castillo was released from the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma after a federal judge ruled his nearly 11-month detention unlawful. Castillo, who has no criminal history and was detained during a routine DHS appointment while seeking asylum, has been readjusting to life outside detention and experiencing lingering psychological effects from his time in custody. An immigration judge granted him Convention Against Torture protection, which prevents his deportation to Venezuela but does not provide immigration status.

Seamus Culleton, an Irish national who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 20 years and is married to U.S. citizen Tiffany Smith, was arrested by ICE agents at a hardware store in Boston on September 9, 2025, during a random immigration sweep. Culleton entered the country in 2009 on a visa waiver and overstayed, but held a valid work permit tied to a pending green card application as the spouse of a citizen and has no criminal record. He was detained for roughly six months across facilities in Massachusetts, New York, and Texas, including El Paso Camp East Montana, where he and his attorney reported overcrowding, inadequate food, lack of outdoor time, unsanitary conditions, and significant weight loss. A judge approved his release on bond in November 2025, but ICE continued to detain him after claiming he had signed deportation documents, a claim Culleton and his lawyer dispute due to documentation irregularities. His prolonged detention caused him to miss a critical green card interview. In March 2026, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge paused his deportation pending resolution of his petition for review.

A noncitizen detained at the South Texas Immigration Processing Center filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in federal court challenging his detention there. The case centers on whether his detention without a bond hearing violates due process rights afforded to noncitizens who have established a presence in the United States. The court ordered respondents to file a response within seven days identifying his country of birth, date of entry and statutory basis for removability, previous immigration detention history if any, and alleged immigration status. The court issued an immediate stay on any possible or anticipated transfer of him outside the Western District of Texas judicial district during the pendency of litigation. The stay does not stay removal proceedings or preclude respondents from taking necessary steps to effect removal, but only prevents the physical transfer of the petitioner at this time.

A federal judge ruled that at least 32 people arrested during Operation Midway Blitz, a major ICE enforcement action in the Chicago area between June 2025 and October 2025, had their arrests violated a 2022 consent decree governing warrantless apprehensions. Among those improperly arrested were Jose Miguel Jimenez and Jeickson Delgado Avila, undocumented immigrants detained during a September 29 raid on an apartment building at 75th and South Shore Drive when ICE agents rappelled from helicopters and broke down doors. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings found the arrests lacked sufficient probable cause that individuals were flight risks, as required by the Castañon Nava consent decree, and that agents provided no justification for their assessments. Of the 32 improperly arrested, 11 are believed to still be in detention, 11 have left the country, and 10 have been released under various conditions. The judge also rejected a recent agency directive that sought to give immigration agents more discretion to make warrantless arrests.

Yoshi Cuenca Villamar, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen and landscaper from Charlotte, was tackled by immigration agents while working during warrantless enforcement operations across North Carolina in late 2025. Villamar is one of five plaintiffs—four U.S. citizens and a visa holder—who filed a federal class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina on February 28, 2026, against the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, CBP, and USBP. The lawsuit alleges the agencies conducted unlawful warrantless arrests without probable cause during and after Operation Charlotte's Web. ICE arrested 3,304 people in North Carolina between January and October 2025, more than 2.8 times the total during the same period in 2024. The lawsuit seeks to declare the warrantless arrest policy unlawful and block the agencies from continuing such arrests.

An immigrant previously released on bond or conditional parole was re-detained by immigration authorities on February 27, 2026. The court found that his re-detention violated due process because the government failed to provide a pre-deprivation bond hearing before a neutral arbiter. The court ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to detention. A second immigrant previously released on bond or conditional parole was re-detained on March 1, 2026. The court found that the government violated due process by re-detaining him without providing a pre-deprivation bond hearing before a neutral arbiter. The court ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to detention.

Elaina Aghayeva, an Azerbaijani national and senior neuroscience researcher at Columbia University, was detained by Department of Homeland Security agents at a university residential building on February 26-27, 2026. DHS agents entered without a warrant and falsely claimed to be searching for a missing child. DHS stated Aghayeva's student visa had been terminated in 2016 for failing to attend classes, though her attorney and the university stated she was a current student in good standing. After approximately nine hours in custody, Aghayeva was released following intervention by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who met with President Trump regarding the case. Aghayeva's attorney filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court, and the detention prompted student protests at Columbia University.

A Chinese asylum seeker was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on February 27, 2026, and detained at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, California. He had previously been released on recognizance after entering the U.S. in December 2023, but was later arrested for DUI in November 2023. The court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered the government to provide him with an individualized bond hearing within 14 days.

Rabbiatu Kuyateh, a 58-year-old woman from Sierra Leone working as a nurse, was detained during a routine ICE check-in in July 2025. Despite a U.S. court order prohibiting her return to Sierra Leone, ICE deported her to an undisclosed location. She was held in shackles during a 10-hour flight. Videos documented her being dragged by individuals after resisting deportation. Her son contacted CASA seeking her return to the United States.

Willy Wender Aceituno, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Honduran descent who has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for over 25 years, was arrested by ICE and DHS agents in November 2025 without a warrant. During the encounter, agents smashed his truck window with a baton and forcibly removed him from the vehicle despite him showing them his REAL ID confirming his citizenship. When Aceituno began filming the agents on his phone, they threw him onto the broken glass, handcuffed him, and transported him approximately two miles away before releasing him bleeding on the side of the road. The incident triggered childhood trauma from witnessing his father's arrest and disappearance by the Honduran military. In February 2026, Aceituno filed a $1.25 million lawsuit against federal immigration authorities alleging violations of constitutional amendments and claims of assault, battery, false imprisonment, and negligent supervision. Aceituno is the lead plaintiff in a federal class-action lawsuit with the ACLU alleging that ICE and CBP agents made warrantless arrests without probable cause across North Carolina.

Cynthia Raygoza, 38, of Riverside, and Ashleigh Brown, 38, of Aurora, Colorado, were convicted on February 27, 2026, of stalking an ICE agent after following him from downtown Los Angeles to his home in Baldwin Park on August 28, 2025, and livestreaming the pursuit on Instagram. The two women were acquitted of conspiracy to publish protected personal information, though Brown did disclose an address near the agent's home during the livestream. A third defendant, Sandra Carmona Samane, was acquitted of all charges. The incident prompted the agent's family to relocate to another county, and prosecutors stated the agent's 3-year-old son, who has a disability, lost access to social and health care services as a result.

Suraj Vasal, an Indian national detained by ICE after a February traffic stop, secured a third judicial order for a bond hearing after U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher ruled the government violated his due process rights. Locher rejected arguments that the government could retroactively change decades of practice regarding bond hearings for detainees and noted Vasal is gainfully employed with no evidence of being a flight risk. The judge ordered the government to provide a hearing by April 30, 2026, or immediately release Vasal from the Polk County Jail.

The South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, operated by CoreCivic, faced multiple documented problems affecting detained immigrant families and children. Emergency responders handled at least 11 medical emergencies since September 2025, including respiratory distress, seizures, and fever in infants and young children. Detainees reported finding worms, bugs, and mold in food, contaminated drinking water, and inadequate nutrition, leading to a confirmed measles outbreak in early 2026. Children experienced inadequate medical care, 24-hour lighting, and some were detained beyond the 20-day legal limit. A 13-year-old girl denied prescribed anxiety medications experienced a mental health crisis and attempted suicide before deportation. Following media coverage and a January protest, facility staff increased confiscation of art supplies, drawings, and personal items from detainees, and restricted communications with family and lawyers through Google services and video calls. A federal judge ruled some detentions unconstitutional, and medical advocates and congressional representatives called for facility closure.

An Indian citizen entered the United States on June 17, 2023, and was initially detained and released on conditional parole on June 19, 2023. Over the following two years, he complied with all ICE reporting requirements, attended scheduled check-ins, obtained employment authorization, and worked lawfully as a commercial truck driver. He also filed an asylum application in October 2023 with removal proceedings still pending. On February 25, 2026, after obtaining required ICE permission, he commenced a work trip. The next day, ICE officers approached him, claimed he had an ICE violation, and took his biometrics despite his assertion that he had prior authorization. He was transferred to Indio, California, where his phone and wallet were confiscated, then detained in El Centro for two days before being transferred to Imperial Regional Adult Detention Facility. He was never provided written explanation of the alleged violation, supporting documentation, or opportunity to contest his arrest. On April 1, 2026, he filed a habeas corpus petition claiming his detention violated the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause. The court granted his petition, finding that ICE's revocation of his conditional parole without a pre-deprivation hearing violated due process rights, and ordered his immediate release subject to the conditions of his preexisting parole.

Yubizay del Carmen Torrealba Linarez, a 20-year-old Venezuelan single mother, was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on Wednesday while traveling to her job at Backyard Farms greenhouses in Madison. She fled political violence in Venezuela after her family experienced violent repression by the Maduro regime, including a 2024 home invasion where agents beat her husband and threatened her 2-year-old daughter. She was paroled into the United States in December 2024 and has been awaiting an asylum decision. Her attorney filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court challenging the legality of her detention; a judge ordered her kept in Maine pending review and ordered the government to respond by Wednesday. Since her detention, her sister has been caring for her 4-year-old daughter.

Ramon Checo Hilario was arrested on February 26, 2026, on shoplifting charges at a Cranston Sunglass Hut based on a flawed police investigation that failed to properly compare surveillance footage with his license photograph. After his arraignment, ICE detained him for 56 days in Plymouth, Massachusetts, pending deportation. The shoplifting charge was dismissed in the interest of justice, and Hilario has since been released on bond. He is now suing the Cranston Police Department, the city, Sunglass Hut, and others for false arrest, negligence, malicious prosecution, and emotional distress.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested four people at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse on Tuesday. Three attorneys were present during the arrests and were accused of interfering, with one attorney attempting to physically stop the process. ICE warned that anyone impeding arrests in the future could face arrest themselves. Federal authorities have opened a criminal investigation into whether two ICE officers committed perjury by lying under oath about a shooting in Minneapolis. All charges were dropped against two Venezuelan men involved in the incident.

Joel Angel-Becerril, a 27-year-old DACA recipient from Omaha, was released from Sarpy County Jail on February 20, 2026, after nearly three months in ICE custody. His release followed a federal judge's mid-February order declaring his detention without a bond hearing unlawful. An Omaha Immigration Court judge subsequently dismissed his removal proceedings on Friday, February 24, 2026, finding that his DACA status provided protection against deportation. Angel-Becerril had filed a civil rights lawsuit with the ACLU of Nebraska, which intervened in the case.

Anselmo Martin Matias, who had been released on $16,000 bond in 2019 during withholding proceedings, was detained by ICE on February 24, 2026, during his routine check-in. ICE told him he was being detained for "breaking the rules" due to his March 2025 guilty plea to reckless driving, which they incorrectly described as driving under the influence. The federal court ordered his immediate release, finding that due process requires a hearing before a neutral arbitrator when someone is re-detained based on alleged supervision violations.

A Nicaraguan man has been in immigration detention since February 24, 2026, after being arrested at a scheduled ICE check-in. ICE did not set bond and did not provide him with a custody review by an immigration judge as required under the Board of Immigration Appeals' decision in Matter of Yajure Hurtado. A recent DHS policy classifies anyone arrested within the United States and charged with being inadmissible under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)(i) as an 'applicant for admission' subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A), a change from prior policy that allowed for bond or conditional parole under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). He filed a habeas corpus petition and ex parte application for a temporary restraining order seeking to prohibit his removal, transfer outside the Central District of California, and continued detention without a constitutionally adequate bond hearing. The federal court granted the temporary restraining order, ordering respondents to either provide him an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) on or before April 7, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., or release him from custody by April 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. The court set a hearing on the preliminary injunction for April 16, 2026.

A West Virginia federal judge ordered the immediate release of Eduardo Tinajero Rodriguez from ICE custody, finding his detention violated federal law and the Constitution. The judge found serious procedural failures including ICE's use of a document showing marijuana convictions from 2009 when Rodriguez was only four years old. Rodriguez was detained following a traffic stop based on an illegible license plate and an officer's call to ICE due to a language barrier.

A class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of five individuals against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its agencies (ICE, CBP, USBP) for conducting warrantless immigration arrests across North Carolina. The plaintiffs include U.S. citizens and a visa holder who were arrested without legal justification during enforcement operations in Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, and other communities. The lawsuit challenges the conduct of warrantless arrests.

George Retes, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen and Army veteran, was detained by ICE agents on July 10, 2025, during a workplace raid at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, Ventura County, California. Despite repeatedly identifying himself as a U.S. citizen, he was pulled from his car, tear-gassed, and arrested without being told why he was detained. He was taken to a Navy base for DNA collection, then held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles for three days without access to phone calls, legal representation, a shower, or a judge appearance before being released without charges. Retes filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act, challenging the Trump administration's claimed absolute immunity for immigration enforcement officers. In February 2026, he attended the State of the Union as a guest of Rep. Mark Takano.

Ruben Arguera Lopez, 39, a cook who holds a U visa for crime victims who assist law enforcement, was arrested without a warrant by ICE and CBP agents during immigration enforcement operations in North Carolina. He has lived in Charlotte for 15 years and obtained humanitarian protection after helping law enforcement investigate a serious crime. He is one of five plaintiffs—including four U.S. citizens—in a federal class-action lawsuit filed in February 2026 against the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, CBP, and Border Patrol, alleging that agents made warrantless arrests without probable cause. The lawsuit covers arrests made between January 20 and October 15, 2025, during which ICE arrested 3,304 people in North Carolina, more than 2.8 times the total during the same period in 2024.