Human Impact Project

Jaqueline (Jacky) Ramirez Juarez, an honors student at Cedartown High School in Georgia, was detained by ICE weeks before her scheduled graduation. The student, who planned to attend Georgia Highlands College to pursue nursing, faced an uncertain future as her family fought for her release while dealing with mounting legal fees. Her community launched a fundraiser to support her case. Despite her detention, she was recognized during graduation ceremonies for her academic achievements, with classmates and faculty honoring her despite her absence from the ceremony.

On May 18, 2026, ICE agents detained 31-year-old DACA recipient and community organizer Karla Toledo at her Tucson home without presenting a judicial warrant. Toledo had maintained valid DACA status since age 1 and had no criminal record. DHS alleged Toledo assaulted a federal officer and illegally entered the U.S. in October 2024—claims she disputed using video footage showing her compliance with agents and asserting she had legally used advance parole authorization available to DACA recipients. During the arrest, agents allegedly used force to prevent the door from closing and denied an attorney access. Following community protests and statements by U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, Mexican consulate representatives, and local nonprofits, Toledo was approved for a $1,500 bond and released from Eloy Detention Center.

Luis Fernando Cabrera, an 18-year-old senior at Northeast Early College High School in Austin, was detained by ICE on May 1, 2026, following a Texas Department of Public Safety traffic stop for expired vehicle registration. A DPS trooper photographed Cabrera's school ID and used the encrypted messaging app Signal to contact what appeared to be federal immigration agents, receiving a message to "detain." Cabrera was transferred to Karnes County Immigration Processing Center over 100 miles away. He had an active pending asylum case dating to 2019 related to alleged abuse and threats in Mexico, no deportation order, and no criminal history. His detention prompted protests from classmates and community members, with support from his school and St. James Episcopal Church. On May 20, a federal judge ordered ICE to release Cabrera, barring deportation and allowing him to graduate and take his final exams.

On May 18, 2026, Rogerio da Silva Lima and his 15-year-old son Nycolas were detained by the U.S. Coast Guard during a recreational fishing trip approximately one mile offshore Martha's Vineyard near Menemsha. Following a vessel safety check, the Coast Guard verified their immigration status and transferred them to ICE custody at a federal processing facility in Burlington. Da Silva Lima, a Brazilian national who entered the U.S. in 2021 and sought asylum, had a denied asylum application with a removal order issued in 2023-2024. Community advocates and attorneys filed a habeas corpus petition in U.S. District Court of Massachusetts on May 20, which halted a planned transfer to Texas. A federal judge found ICE had exceeded the congressionally mandated 90-day removal period and violated constitutional due process rights. The teenager was released on May 24 to his older brother, and the father was ordered released by May 28-29. Approximately 200 students at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, where the son was a freshman, walked out to protest his detention.

Daniel Romero, 18, a Colombian national and recent graduate of Ooltewah High School in Tennessee, was taken into ICE custody on May 18, 2026, during what his family believed was a routine appointment related to an immigration program. ICE cited missed check-ins and failure to submit required weekly photos as reasons for detention. Romero's family disputed the allegations, claiming the check-in app malfunctioned for four weeks and provided documented evidence of the technical error, but officials did not allow Romero to present this proof before his arrest. Records provided by the family indicated compliance with program requirements. He was held at Etowah County Jail in Alabama before being transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, where no bond, video calls, or visitation were allowed.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national with legal status living in Maryland with his U.S. citizen family, was deported to El Salvador on March 15, 2025, despite a 2019 immigration court order granting him withholding of removal due to documented gang violence risks. The Trump administration characterized the deportation as an "administrative error" but based it on a 2019 police report alleging gang membership that Garcia denied and was never charged with. After the Supreme Court unanimously ruled on April 10, 2025, that the government must return him, Garcia was brought back to the U.S. in June 2025. Upon return, federal prosecutors indicted him on human smuggling charges in Tennessee. In May 2026, a federal judge dismissed the charges, finding the prosecution was vindictive retaliation for Garcia's successful legal challenge to his deportation. The Trump administration subsequently pursued removal to Liberia and other African countries, but federal courts repeatedly blocked these attempts.

Juan Ayala-Montero, a 60-year-old Mexican national with an extensive criminal record including prior homicide and assault convictions, was arrested on May 23, 2026, after allegedly shooting multiple people in New Caney, Texas over the Memorial Day weekend. He was charged with being an undocumented alien in possession of a firearm and faces federal charges related to the shooting. ICE lodged a detainer seeking custody of Ayala-Montero from Montgomery County authorities, and he is currently in custody pending federal court appearance.

Jose Danilo Diaz Sandoval, who had lived in the U.S. for nearly 20 years and was in the process of obtaining a green card, was detained and deported by ICE in January 2026. His granddaughter Malani, whom he was raising, is a survivor of the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. Diaz's wife is a U.S. citizen. After spending four months in Honduras, he returned to the United States following legal efforts by his family.

A U.S.-born mother of four was stopped at an ICE checkpoint in a residential area of Lafayette and detained despite presenting a valid Louisiana state ID and Social Security card. ICE agents accused her documents of being forged, handcuffed and shackled her at the ankles, and transported her to a USCIS field office for interrogation before moving her to South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile. An immigration attorney secured her release by submitting identification documents. ICE did not apologize and confiscated her Social Security card.

A man pursuing asylum in Maine since 2021 through official legal channels was unexpectedly detained by ICE for 21 days despite having documentation of his ongoing legal process. He was released and returned home to his wife and four children (two born in the U.S.), but his asylum case was moved to formal Immigration Court, requiring a defensive asylum case before a judge to avoid deportation. His family is raising funds for private legal representation to mount his court defense.

Adys Lastres Morera, a lawful permanent resident living in Florida, was arrested by ICE Homeland Security Investigations on May 21-22, 2026, following the revocation of her green card by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The revocation was based on her sister Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera's position as executive president of GAESA, Cuba's military-controlled business conglomerate. Morera had arrived legally as a permanent resident in January 2023 and subsequently registered as manager of real estate investment companies in Florida. After her arrest, she was transferred to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana, and held pending removal proceedings. Her son, a U.S. citizen, disputed the revocation and sought legal representation.

Gabriel Leiva was detained at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan. He fought with staff who removed him from his pod and requested to be killed while handcuffed and shackled. After being placed in solitary confinement, he covered his cell window, kicked the door, and displayed suicidal behavior. When police responded to a 911 call, he expressed confusion about being in solitary confinement.

Juan Pablo Vasquez-Miranda was arrested by ICE officers on Wednesday in Hartford. At least one officer wore a mask and lacked clear identification, appearing to violate state law. Vasquez-Miranda had entered the U.S. in November 2022 on parole, which was subsequently terminated. He faced pending state charges for disorderly conduct, interfering with an emergency call, and strangulation/suffocation.

ICE conducted a targeted enforcement operation in the Green Drive area of Cleveland that resulted in the arrest of eight people living in the country without authorization. The operation was initiated in response to a suspect with a criminal history including domestic assault and multiple DUI cases who had entered the U.S. illegally three times. Three of those arrested accepted Incentivized Voluntary Departure; the remaining five remained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Victor López Delara, a 29-year-old mobile mechanic who immigrated to the U.S. at age 4 and lived in Florissant, Missouri for 26 years, was detained by ICE in February 2026 after an O'Fallon police officer pulled him over for not having a front license plate. During the traffic stop, police discovered an active ICE detainer and transferred him to ICE custody. López Delara had no criminal history aside from a 2015 speeding ticket, was employed as a mobile mechanic, owned a small business, and had two young daughters. He qualified for DACA but was unable to submit an application due to financial constraints and lack of a high school diploma. His petition to cancel deportation was denied by a judge who determined his children could adapt to relocation. López Delara was deported to Mexico, with his fiancée and children planning to follow.

Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez, a 42-year-old DACA recipient who had lived in the United States for 27 years after arriving in 1998 at age 15, was arrested and deported to Mexico on February 18, 2025, during a green card interview at a USCIS office in Sacramento, California. Immigration agents cited a 1998 expedited removal order from her initial border crossing, despite her valid DACA status, lack of criminal history, and previous federal approvals to remain in the country. She was removed within 24 hours. Following a lawsuit by her attorneys, U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins issued a temporary restraining order on March 23, 2025, ruling the deportation a "flagrant violation" of her DACA protections and due process rights. Estrada Juarez was granted humanitarian parole and reentered the United States on March 30, 2025, at the San Ysidro border crossing, where she was reunited with her daughter.

Andry Hernández Romero, a gay makeup artist from Venezuela, legally entered the U.S. in August 2024 and passed a credible fear interview for asylum. In March 2025, the Trump administration deported him to CECOT, a maximum security prison in El Salvador, under the Alien Enemies Act as part of a broader deportation of 237 Venezuelan migrants. Authorities cited tattoos allegedly linking him to gang activity, which his family disputed as relating to a local cultural festival. Hernández Romero was detained in CECOT for over four months before being released in July 2025 as part of a prisoner swap. He was subsequently returned to Venezuela rather than allowed to remain in the U.S. His case became part of a class-action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations. A Venezuelan makeup artist was deported to El Salvador and subsequently traveled to Spain to seek asylum. The person states they feel safe in Spain and is pursuing asylum protection there.

A man was detained by ICE in Buffalo, New York on May 21, 2026, while traveling for work. His family is raising funds to cover legal fees and expenses to defend his case.

Jose was detained by ICE on May 21, 2026 without a warrant while taking his 3-year-old daughter to school and transported to Aurora ICE detention facility. He had a pending immigration case since 2024 to adjust his immigration status and was awaiting USCIS office response at the time of detention. His family is facing emotional and financial hardship as a result.

Selah Dine Habib, a Mauritanian national, entered the United States near the Arizona border in March 2023 and applied for asylum claiming persecution based on sexual orientation. While his asylum case was pending, he secured employment as an unarmed corrections officer at Jay County Jail in Indiana after marrying a woman and presenting employment authorization documents that passed I-9 verification and E-Verify checks. In May 2026, ICE arrested Habib after DHS investigators determined his asylum application was fraudulent, citing the contradiction between his claimed homosexual identity and his subsequent marriage to a woman. He is currently detained at Clay County Jail in Brazil, Indiana, and faces removal proceedings.

Etinosa Osahon, a 49-year-old Nigerian national, was arrested by ICE Los Angeles on May 21, 2026. He is accused of stealing, possession of stolen mail, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is currently in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Parminderpal Singh, a 26-year-old Indian national, was arrested by ICE Los Angeles on May 21, 2026. Singh has a criminal record including vehicle theft, grand theft, trespassing, and vandalism. He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Miguel Angel Gomez Alvarado was stopped by police in Taylor and turned over to ICE, which placed him in deportation proceedings without a bond hearing. Gomez had lived in the United States as an undocumented immigrant for 15 years, worked, and had no criminal record. A federal judge found that holding him without a chance for a bond hearing violated his due process rights and ordered his release. The Trump administration appealed the decision to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ignacio Sosnava Rodriguez was stopped by police in Taylor and turned over to ICE, which placed him in deportation proceedings without a bond hearing. Rodriguez had lived in the United States as an undocumented immigrant for 22 years, worked, and had no criminal record. A federal judge found that holding him without a chance for a bond hearing violated his due process rights and ordered his release. The Trump administration appealed the decision to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Barnabas Terhemba Jime, a 31-year-old Nigerian national, was arrested by ICE. He has a prior conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He remains in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.

Rogelio Cortez, 50, was arrested during a traffic stop initiated by Texas Department of Public Safety near a West Side library. State troopers said Cortez had an outstanding vehicle burglary warrant. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including ICE, responded to the scene. Bexar County officials stated Cortez was not a voter and the incident did not affect polling site access or voting operations.

Three undocumented immigrants—Ignacio Sosnava Rodriguez, Miguel Angel Gomez Alvarado, and Alejandro Villegas Angel—were detained by ICE after police stops in Taylor, Texas between November 2025 and February 2026. All three had lived in the U.S. for 14-22 years with no criminal records and were held without bond hearings. Federal judges ruled their detention violated due process rights and ordered their release. The Trump administration appealed, and their cases are now before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which will decide whether undocumented immigrants have constitutional rights to challenge their detention.

Elvira Benitez-Suarez, a 51-year-old mother of four U.S. citizen children who has lived in Wisconsin for 35 years, was detained by ICE on March 10, 2026, during a routine check-in appointment in Milwaukee. An immigration judge had previously ruled her deportation should be canceled and approved her green card application, but the Department of Homeland Security appealed that decision. After spending over two months in custody at Campbell County Detention Center in Kentucky, a 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against the Trump administration's mandatory detention policy opened the possibility of a bond hearing. On May 21, 2026, an immigration judge granted her a $1,500 bond, though the government reserved the right to appeal during the 30-day appeal window.

Karla Soriano's husband was arrested and deported to Honduras five months prior to the article publication. Left to support two sons alone, Soriano has struggled to find stable employment—one employer threatened to call ICE when she asked to be paid. She is considering self-deporting to avoid potential detention, fearing she could be held in a detention center for five to six months.

Yanquiel Lima came to the U.S. from Cuba in 2023 under a humanitarian visa program that Trump ended in 2024. He was arrested shortly after the program's termination and denied a bond hearing under ICE's mandatory detention policy. He spent 10 months at Pearsall detention facility in a room with 64 other detainees sharing two toilets and three showers. He reported being served spoiled food and hearing racist comments from guards. He was placed in solitary confinement for six days after complaining about conditions.

Josue Saul Garcia-Lopez, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador and MS-13 gang member, was arrested by ICE.

Eduardo Perez-Legra, an undocumented immigrant from Cuba with prior felony convictions for drug trafficking and cocaine possession, was arrested by ICE earlier in May 2026.

ICE agents stopped a blue sedan and detained the driver in the area of 11th Street and Jackson Street in North Chicago on Wednesday morning around 8:20 a.m. A child was in the vehicle at the time. This detention occurred as part of broader ICE enforcement activity in the Lake County area, with agents also spotted making arrests in Waukegan on the same day.

A woman identified as a parent was detained by federal agents just outside a North Hollywood elementary school immediately after dropping off her children on Wednesday morning. Witnesses recorded the detention in tactical gear near campus, and the incident sparked concern among parents about law enforcement activity near schools. No federal agency officially identified itself or stated a reason for the detention as of the latest reports.

Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez was shot seven times by ICE agents during a traffic stop in Patterson, Stanislaus County, California on April 8, 2026. According to dashcam video and eyewitness accounts, Hernandez reversed away from officers who had drawn weapons, then drove forward as agents opened fire. ICE stated Hernandez attempted to run over agents with his vehicle. Hernandez survived and was transported to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto in stable condition. While hospitalized, FBI agents accessed his HIPAA-protected medical records, including drug test results, without clear authorization, prompting concerns from his federal public defenders about obtaining records without a warrant, subpoena, or court order. After hospital discharge, Hernandez was arrested by the FBI and subsequently moved to solitary confinement at California City Detention Center with no explanation, where his medical needs—including treatment for the gunshot wounds—remained unaddressed.

A man who arrived in the United States at age two and was part of the DACA program was arrested during a traffic stop for a headlight violation and driving without a license. He was detained by ICE for six weeks across three facilities before being released on bond. He now faces deportation to Mexico within 120 days despite having no criminal history and having lived in the U.S. for nearly his entire life.

Lien Loung Saeteun, a 53-year-old Laotian refugee and lawful permanent resident, was abruptly re-detained by ICE on May 19, 2026, during a routine check-in after being on supervised release for over 20 years. Saeteun came to the U.S. as a child refugee in 1979 due to his father's service with the CIA in the Secret War in Laos. The federal court granted a temporary restraining order and ordered his immediate release, finding violations of due process and ICE regulations.

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order barring ICE from arresting people at routine immigration court check-ins in New York City after the Trump administration admitted it had misrepresented the legal basis for the arrests. The administration had cited a legal memo that applied only to criminal courts, not immigration courts. Hundreds of people attending mandatory check-ins had been arrested and placed in expedited deportation proceedings without bond hearings.

Marvin Len Morales was arrested by ICE during a raid in Manassas attended by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. According to reports, Morales has a criminal record and has been deported twice before. During the same raid, a 14-year-old minor was handcuffed and detained despite not being targeted by the operation, prompting criticism from Virginia State Delegate Michelle Maldonado.

Boanerges Flores-Bravo, a Nicaraguan national who entered the U.S. in 2022 and was seeking asylum with his wife, was detained by ICE agents during a routine check-in appointment on May 18, 2026. He is now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. His wife Alba Matamoro-Hernandez was released with an ankle monitor and placed in the Alternatives to Detention program. The couple has an 8-year-old daughter and both worked for the Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District.

Mojtaba, an Iranian national who fled persecution for his participation in the Women, Life, Freedom movement, was released from ICE detention after 17 months. He won a bond hearing but faced a $35,000 bond set by Immigration Court. Hundreds of individuals and organizations raised the funds to secure his release, and he is now building a life in New Jersey.

A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stopped a white Volvo truck on Interstate 35 in Webb County on May 18 during Operation Lone Star and discovered 20 undocumented immigrants—16 adults and 4 minors from Mexico and Guatemala—hidden in the truck's sleeping compartment. The driver, 25-year-old Miguel Angel Velazquez Chavez, a Mexican national, fled on foot but was arrested and charged with evading arrest and smuggling people. All 20 migrants were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol.

Jose Floriberto Serrano Perez, a Mexican citizen who entered the US as a minor in 1996 and lived continuously in the country for 30 years with two US citizen children, was arrested and detained by ICE on May 18, 2026. He was transferred to the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia under mandatory detention provisions. The court ruled his detention unlawful and ordered his immediate release, finding that the detention statute does not apply to long-term residents arrested in the interior.

Alejandro Josue Cervantes-Mencia was arrested by ICE officers on Lafayette Street in Hartford on May 18, 2026. Several officers wore masks and lacked clear identification, violating Connecticut's recently signed law prohibiting immigration officers from wearing masks during enforcement actions. According to ICE, Cervantes-Mencia entered the U.S. illegally in 2016 and had a final removal order issued by an immigration judge on April 5, 2022. He was also facing state charges for possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to sell.

A father was detained by ICE on February 26, 2026, in Escondido, California, while on his way to pick up his children from school. His family exhausted their savings on legal fees and fell three months behind on rent while seeking to secure his release. By May 18, 2026, with assistance from legal aid organization Clue Justice, the family secured the remaining funds needed for his $4,000 bond, and he was set to be released. The legal aid organization warned that DHS may appeal the case if release did not occur quickly.

Sara Yazmin Garcia was arrested on May 15, 2026, and taken into ICE custody on May 17, 2026, due to her immigration status. She is being held in Atlanta, Georgia, over seven hours from her family. She has no criminal record and has lived in the United States for over 20 years, leaving behind her husband of 10 years, her 15-year-old son, and extended family who depend on her emotionally and financially.

Carlos Alborozo was detained by ICE while working in a construction job. His family launched a fundraising campaign to help cover legal expenses and immigration lawyer costs to support his case.

Juan Nasario-Reyes, 43, was arrested at a Border Patrol checkpoint in Sarita after authorities discovered 42 migrants concealed in his tractor-trailer. The trailer was sealed with no means of escape, and contained minimal supplies despite temperatures of 92.5 degrees. He also faces charges for possessing approximately 16 grams of methamphetamine found in his cab.

Wendy Hernandez Reyes, a 29-year-old undocumented immigrant and domestic violence survivor with no criminal record, was detained by Baldwin County sheriff's deputies in Alabama on January 8, 2026, during a traffic stop. After ICE was contacted, Hernandez repeatedly requested her release to care for her 2-year-old U.S. citizen son, Orlin, but was denied. She was deported to Honduras on January 26, 2026, without her son and was forced to leave him in the care of her brother-in-law, Samuel Maldonado Erazo. On March 4, 2026, Orlin died from multiple blunt force traumas inflicted by Maldonado, who was charged with first-degree murder. A federal court reopened a case against the Department of Homeland Security alleging ICE officials failed to follow safety protocols during separation and lacked a reunification plan, while ICE blamed Hernandez for leaving her son with the relative.

Tuan Van Bui, a 55-year-old Vietnamese national who legally entered the U.S. in 1990 under the Amerasian Homecoming Act, died on April 1, 2026, at Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana while in ICE custody. Staff found him unresponsive, initiated CPR, and called emergency services; he was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. His autopsy ruled the death natural, caused by hypertensive arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Bui had been ordered removed from the country by an immigration judge in 2005 and was challenging his detention through a habeas corpus petition at the time of his death. His death was the second at the facility since October 2025, prompting the ACLU of Indiana to call for transparency and advocates to organize a statewide day of action on May 16, 2026, with over 70 protesters rallying at the Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne.