Human Impact Project

José Guadalupe Ramos, a 52-year-old from Guanajuato, Mexico, worked in industrial laundry and was described by his wife and children as hardworking, responsible, and a good person. He was arrested on February 23, 2026, in Torrance, California, and transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. Ramos had pre-existing medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and had recently undergone nasal surgery. During his month in custody, a medical exam on March 23 found poor glycemic control, elevated blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol. On March 25, 2026, he was found unconscious in his bunk with saliva coming from his mouth and died shortly after despite staff initiating CPR and emergency services transport to Victor Valley Global Medical Center. His family demanded justice and is conducting a forensic investigation with plans to file a civil case for medical negligence against GEO Group and ICE, alleging inadequate medical care and harsh detention conditions contributed to his death. His death was the fourth at Adelanto in 2026 and the 14th migrant death in ICE custody nationally that year, prompting Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to announce her government would file a legal brief in a class-action lawsuit alleging unconstitutional conditions at the detention center.

Royer Pérez-Jimenez, a 19-year-old indigenous Tzotzil Mayan from San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, Mexico, died on March 16, 2026, at Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida, while in ICE custody. He had immigrated to the United States at age 15 to join an uncle but was left on his own after the uncle was deported. He worked continuously in a restaurant but earned minimal wages. On January 21, 2026, he was arrested during a traffic stop after giving a false name and was convicted of misdemeanors on February 19. He was transferred to ICE custody on February 21 and moved to the Moore Haven facility on February 26. On March 16 at approximately 2:34 a.m., he was found unresponsive in his dormitory; despite CPR efforts by detention staff and emergency responders, he was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m. ICE stated the death was a presumed suicide, though the official cause remained under investigation. His father Manuel Pérez rejected the suicide conclusion and called for a thorough investigation. His death was one of at least 13 to 14 acknowledged deaths in ICE detention occurring between January and late March 2026.

Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, 41, an Afghan national who served alongside U.S. Special Forces for a decade, was arrested by ICE agents on March 13, 2026, outside his home in Richardson, Texas, while taking his six children to school. He had legally entered the U.S. in 2021 after evacuating from Afghanistan and had a pending asylum application. During his arrest, his wife attempted to give him his inhaler, but ICE agents rejected it. While in ICE custody, Paktiawal called his brother Naseer to report chest pain and requested medical care, which ICE staff ignored. He was transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital on the evening of March 15 after reporting shortness of breath and chest pains during ICE intake processing. The following morning, he died from anaphylaxis triggered by an adverse drug reaction that exacerbated his asthma. Hospital staff noted tongue swelling and administered epinephrine, but he was pronounced dead approximately 40 minutes later. His death certificate and the Dallas County Medical Examiner both ruled the cause of death as accidental, attributed to an adverse drug reaction to an unidentified substance. His family and advocacy groups are demanding the full autopsy report be released and questioning what substance caused the reaction. His brother asked: "If they know he is going through pain and he is asking for someone to help, what were they waiting for? The last breath?"

Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal, a 41-year-old Afghan asylum seeker and former Afghan special forces soldier who worked with U.S. military forces, died on March 14, 2026, less than 24 hours after being detained by ICE in Richardson, Texas while dropping off his children at school. Paktyawal had entered the U.S. legally in 2021 through Operation Allies Refuge and was awaiting an asylum decision; his temporary parole status had expired in August 2025. During ICE custody on March 13, he complained of shortness of breath and chest pain during a medical intake exam and was taken to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. The following morning, his tongue swelled and medical staff administered epinephrine and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation before he was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m. The exact cause of his death remains unknown to his family, with results pending from the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office. His 12-year-old son and brother have publicly sought answers about his death.

Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, a 41-year-old Afghan national who served alongside U.S. Army Special Forces in Paktika province starting in 2005, died in ICE custody on March 14 at Dallas' Parkland Memorial Hospital, less than 24 hours after his arrest. On March 13, 2025, unmarked ICE agents arrested Paktiawal outside his home in Richardson, Texas, while he was taking four of his six children to school. His brother Naseer reported that Paktiawal called that evening saying he couldn't breathe, his body was in pain, and he was shaking and sweating. At the hospital, staff discovered severe tongue swelling at breakfast on March 14 and administered allergy medication before initiating life-saving measures. Paktiawal had been evacuated to the U.S. with his family when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021 and held humanitarian parole valid through 2029. His family stated he was in the country legally with a pending immigration case and asylum application. DHS claimed he had been arrested for alleged SNAP fraud and theft with no charges filed, though his military service was confirmed by news organizations. The Dallas County medical examiner's office investigation into the cause and manner of death was ongoing.

Irvin Cruz Nape, a father of four, died on March 4, 2026, days after being released from the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. Cruz Nape reported heart attack-like symptoms while in custody but allegedly did not receive proper medical treatment. He had been detained by ICE agents in the fall after being mistaken for another target, and was granted bond and released in late February.

Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian asylum seeker who arrived at the southern border in 2022, died from hypothermia on March 2, 2026, after being released by ICE on February 27 or 28, 2026, under the Alternatives to Detention Program with an electronic ankle monitor. Michel had spent six months in Washington County Correctional Facility awaiting a preliminary hearing on misdemeanor charges stemming from an arrest for yelling due to untreated severe mental health issues. After her release, she was taken approximately 25 miles away to Pittsburgh and left at a bus shelter in sub-freezing temperatures (20–30°F) while wearing summer clothes, where she spent 24 to 30 hours alone before being found unresponsive. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. Her family plans to sue the U.S. government and other entities, alleging ICE failed to account for her severe vulnerability, including untreated mental health conditions and significant language barriers.

Emmanuel Damas, a 56-year-old Haitian who arrived in the U.S. under the Biden Administration's Humanitarian Parole program with a pending Temporary Protected Status application, died on March 2, 2026, from sepsis caused by an untreated dental infection. Damas was detained at Florence Correctional Center in Arizona and repeatedly reported tooth pain to facility staff starting in mid-February, requesting dental care multiple times but receiving only ibuprofen. After two weeks of complaints and developing difficulty breathing, he was taken to a Scottsdale hospital on February 19, but the infection had already progressed to septic shock and pneumonia. Damas died at the hospital. Representatives Ansari, Grijalva, and Stanton demanded a full investigation, noting he was the tenth person to die in ICE custody in the first two months of 2026.

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.

Alberto Gutiérrez Reyes, 48, a construction worker from Veracruz who had lived in the United States for nearly 25 years, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol on January 9, 2026, in Los Angeles for lacking authorization to reside in the country. He was transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center on January 12, where he had pre-existing diabetes and high cholesterol. Throughout February, he experienced persistent fever, headache, sore throat, dizziness, body aches, high blood pressure, and elevated glucose levels. Despite repeatedly requesting medical attention and filling out medical request forms, he was denied proper care. His wife Patricia Martínez reported seeing yellowing of his skin, face, and eyes during visits. On February 25, he reported feeling faint and weak and was transferred to Victor Valley Global Medical Center with chest pain and shortness of breath. He became unresponsive and died on February 27 of cardiac arrest. His wife and 19-year-old son Erick, born in Los Angeles and the family's sole financial provider along with his father, were not immediately informed of his death. Mexico's Office of Foreign Affairs demanded an investigation into the conditions that led to his death. According to local officials, Gutiérrez Reyes was the ninth detainee to die in ICE custody since the beginning of 2026.

A widowed undocumented Mexican mother describes losing her husband, Jesús Juárez Cruz, after he avoided seeking medical care due to fear of ICE deportation. The man died without receiving medical treatment. The widow, who requested anonymity due to concerns about Trump administration retaliation, shared her story through an Instagram post and news article.

Estela Ramos Baten was detained during a mandatory immigration check-in and deported to Guatemala with her teenage daughter Nory Sontay Ramos on July 4. Ramos Baten had lived in Los Angeles since 2016 and suffered from liver cirrhosis and high blood pressure. She died nine weeks after deportation from complications of liver cirrhosis. Her teenage daughter remained in Guatemala.

A 21-year-old Hispanic man identified as Juan Miguel Munoz Penalver died in Louisville Metro jail on February 26, 2026, while subject to an ICE immigration detainer. He had been in custody since February 14 on criminal assault charges and was held under an ICE detainer that could have extended his detention beyond his scheduled release. The death is under investigation by LMDC's Professional Standards Unit and Louisville Metro Police's Public Integrity Unit.

Paulino Martin San Pedro, a handyman who lived and worked in Oregon for years, was arrested by ICE agents in Washington County in late 2025 during an enforcement surge in the Pacific Northwest. The arrests were part of an operation internally called 'Operation Black Rose,' which resulted in a 600% increase in apprehensions in Multnomah County and a 2,100% increase in Washington County. After his arrest, San Pedro was deported to Mexico, where he died in February 2026 from pneumonia complications.

Luis Beltran Yañez-Cruz, a Honduran immigrant, died while in ICE custody at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Imperial County. His daughter Jocelyn provided a statement read at a February 21, 2026 vigil calling for justice. Organizers documented conditions of medical neglect, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions at the facility that they say contributed to detainee deaths.

Huabing Xie, a Chinese immigrant, died while in ICE custody at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Imperial County. Activists organized an interfaith vigil on February 21, 2026, outside the facility to honor Xie and another detainee who died there, highlighting conditions of medical neglect, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions at the detention center.

Special education teacher Linda Davis was killed when a man fleeing immigration officers crashed into her car. The incident involved a driver who was being pursued by ICE at the time of the collision.

Lorth Sim, a 59-year-old Cambodian national who entered the U.S. as a refugee in 1983 and became a lawful permanent resident in 1986, died in custody at Miami Correctional Facility in Miami County, Indiana on February 16, 2026. Sim was arrested by ICE in Boston on December 30, 2025, and transferred to the Indiana facility to await deportation following an immigration judge's removal order to Cambodia. He was found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m. His death was the seventh in federal immigration custody in 2026. The cause of death remained under investigation, and organizers reported concerns about medical neglect among ICE detainees at the facility, prompting U.S. Congressman André Carson and other lawmakers to seek answers.

Nenko Gantchev, a 56-year-old Bulgarian national who lived in Chicago for 30 years, died on December 16, 2025, while in ICE custody at North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan, operated by GEO Group. He had been arrested in September 2025 during an immigration enforcement operation. Gantchev had type 2 diabetes and deteriorating health conditions that advocates say went untreated. His death prompted calls from his family and U.S. Representatives Haley Stevens and Hillary Scholten for an immediate investigation. The lawmakers toured the facility and expressed frustration that the Department of Homeland Security has not responded to their inquiries about his death, which ICE attributed to natural causes. Immigrant rights advocates, including the ACLU of Michigan and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, documented that multiple detainees at the facility have been denied emergency and routine medical care, prescription medications, and follow-up care after hospitalization. Gantchev's family has sought a private autopsy.

Jairo Garcia-Hernandez, a 27-year-old from Guatemala, died on February 16 at Larkin Community Hospital in Miami while in ICE custody. He collapsed unexpectedly and became unresponsive despite life-saving efforts. According to ICE officials, Garcia-Hernandez had a long history of severe medical complications and was in poor health when taken into custody in January 2025 following a 2024 weapons conviction. The exact cause of death remains under investigation.

Ofelia Torres, a 16-year-old U.S. citizen and Lake View High School junior from Chicago, died from metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma on February 13, 2026. Her father, Ruben Torres-Maldonado, an undocumented immigrant, was detained by ICE agents at a Home Depot in October 2025 during the Trump administration's 'Operation Midway Blitz' enforcement initiative. While undergoing hospice care for stage 4 cancer, Ofelia posted social media videos calling for her father's release from custody. Three days before her death, an immigration judge ruled that Torres-Maldonado was entitled to cancellation of removal based on the hardship his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children, granting him protection from deportation and the ability to pursue permanent residence.

In March 2025, ICE agent fatally shot 23-year-old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez on South Padre Island, Texas. Bodycam footage shows the vehicle with brake lights engaged when three shots were fired through the window. Martinez was removed from the car and restrained before receiving medical care, but died at a Brownsville hospital. The agency's involvement was not publicly revealed until nearly eleven months later. A grand jury declined to indict the agent, and ICE stated the shooting was justified. Martinez's family is pursuing a tort claim for wrongful death.

Oscar Isidro, a U.S. citizen from North Texas, was found dead last month after being missing for two weeks. His death came amid family trauma, including his father's deportation to Peru the previous year and his sister's detention by ICE.

Amalia, a 1-year-old, and her parents including mother Kheilin Valero Marcano were detained at Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Amalia developed a fever and grew lethargic. Her parents returned to the facility's medical clinic repeatedly but were only given Tylenol and warned not to complain. When Amalia lost consciousness, her mother asked clinic employees if they would let her die. Amalia spent more than a week in an outside hospital after her oxygen levels dropped to dangerously low levels, diagnosed with COVID-19, an ear infection, pneumonia, bronchitis, and RSV. The family was released in February 2026 after two months at Dilley.

Ricardo del Pino Olivera, 67, was deported from the United States to Mexico on July 3, 2025 after serving a 17-year sentence. He applied for refugee status on July 31 but struggled to find formal employment or access services. After the Amparito shelter in Villahermosa advocated on his behalf, he received some medical treatment but was repeatedly hospitalized beginning December 12. He was severely malnourished and remained without legal documentation. Ricardo died on February 21, 2026. His death certificate listed his nationality as "unknown."

Keith Porter Jr., 43, a Black father of two daughters, was shot and killed by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year's Eve outside his apartment complex in Northridge, Los Angeles. Friends and family described Porter as a devoted father and jack of all trades who worked as a waiter, tow truck driver, and Home Depot employee. He was close to his mother, Franceola Armstrong, and known for being compassionate and funny. Porter had recently obtained a firearm safety certificate and was proud to own a gun legally. He was firing a gun into the air to celebrate the new year when he was shot three times by the off-duty agent. Witnesses told Porter's attorney they never heard the officer identify himself as law enforcement and heard demands to "put down the rifle" followed by three shots. His mother spoke at a Los Angeles City Council meeting, saying: "He was on his way back. He didn't even get to pop the champagne. He didn't get to say goodbye. I just want to touch my baby one last time, kiss his face and hold him." Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and family lawyer Jamal Tooson urged California's attorney general to conduct an independent investigation. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office is reviewing the killing to determine if the use of force constitutes a crime.

Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old Nicaraguan man and father of two, was arrested by ICE in Minneapolis on January 6, 2026, during Operation Metro Surge and transferred to Camp East Montana detention facility in El Paso, Texas. He died by suicide on January 14, 2026, by hanging with a bed sheet, eight days after his arrest. Diaz had entered the U.S. illegally in 2024, was released on parole, and was working at a Twin Cities restaurant when detained. Staff placed him in a medical holding room instead of a suicide-resistant cell and left him unattended for intervals exceeding the required 15-minute checks. Vision panels that had been requested months earlier were not installed, preventing staff from observing the room. A GAO report released in June 2026 found the facility lacked adequate supervision and monitoring systems, with over 1,600 detainees housed in steel-framed tent-like structures, insufficient surveillance cameras, and inadequate medical care. Diaz was at least the third death at Camp East Montana. His family attorney is considering a wrongful death claim.

Maher Tarabishi was detained by ICE in October 2024 during a routine check-in at the Dallas Field Office. His son Wael, 30, who has Pompe disease and requires round-the-clock care, was hospitalized twice following his father's arrest. Wael died on January 23, 2026. Despite ICE detention standards allowing for emergency-supervised release to attend funerals and the family's humanitarian requests citing Maher's 14 years of compliance with supervised release requirements, immigration officials denied his request to attend his son's burial.

Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old Haitian man, died in December 2025 at Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, less than a day after being detained. Brutus suffered a medical emergency and was transported to University Hospital, but an ambulance transporting him was delayed by 5 minutes as officials prioritized allowing a van of new detainees into the facility. A medical examiner determined he died from a pulmonary embolism, though ICE initially described his death as suspected natural causes. His death was one of at least two deaths at the facility that prompted civil rights scrutiny, and one of 23 people to die in ICE custody during the year.

Border Patrol agents Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and intensive care nurse, on January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis. The shooting occurred during Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement operation. Bystander videos and witness testimony showed Pretti holding only a phone before officers tackled and shot him. Officers failed to provide immediate first aid; a pediatrician attempting to assist was initially prevented from helping. The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is investigating. This was the second fatal shooting by immigration agents in Minneapolis within a month.

A Democratic state representative is demanding a public hearing regarding the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez by a federal ICE agent in South Padre Island, Texas. Authorities claim Martinez intentionally ran over an agent before being shot. There was an 11-month delay in revealing federal involvement. Rep. Ray Lopez invoked a House rule to demand transparency about the incident.

Two brothers, ages 17 and 16, from West Chicago traveled to Minneapolis to document U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. The brothers have been recording Border Patrol activities, including the use of tear gas and pepper spray, and uploading footage to a public Google Drive folder. They witnessed the aftermath of Alex Pretti's death on January 24, when Border Patrol agents shot and killed the VA nurse while he was recording them. The brothers also witnessed the death of Renee Macklin Good at the hands of federal agents. They describe the enforcement actions in Minneapolis compared to what they had previously witnessed in Chicago.

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis, was shot and killed by a U.S. border patrol officer during an immigration enforcement operation on January 23, 2026. A U.S. citizen with no criminal history, Pretti had legally owned a handgun and concealed carry permit; bystander videos show him holding a phone with no visible firearm. DHS stated Pretti approached officers with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, though officials did not specify if it was brandished. His family said he was distressed by immigration enforcement actions and had participated in protests.

Francisco Gaspar Andrés, a 48-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, died on December 3, 2025, at The Hospitals of Providence East in El Paso after 93 days in ICE custody at Camp East Montana detention facility. He was arrested in Florida on September 1 and transferred to the facility on September 19, marking the first confirmed death there. His health deteriorated in mid-November with complications from alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis, low sodium levels, and kidney failure. He was hospitalized on November 16 and placed on dialysis and a liver transplant list before being pronounced dead on December 3. His daughter said during weekly phone calls he reported suffering from lack of food, lack of medical care, and terrible conditions, and stated: 'My dad was taken to the hospital when he was already dying, and it was too late.' Another detainee confirmed he had asked for help but did not receive it. His wife, Lucía Pedro Juan, was deported to Guatemala on November 28 before learning of his death. An immigration judge had ordered his removal on November 14, two days before his hospitalization. The El Paso County Medical Examiner attributed his death to natural causes stemming from advanced alcoholic liver cirrhosis with renal failure and internal bleeding, though conflicting reports indicate authorities also ruled it a homicide.

Heber Sánchez died while in ICE custody at Robert A. Deyton Detention Facility in Clayton County, Georgia. The cause of death is unclear and an autopsy is being performed by the Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office. The Mexican Consulate has requested clarification on the circumstances and is coordinating to return Sánchez's body to Mexico. He is survived by a wife and two children.

Heber Sanchez Dominguez, a 34-year-old Mexican man, died on January 14, 2026 after 6 days in ICE custody at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas. His death was attributed to suicide by hanging.

Heber Sánchez Domínguez, 34, a day laborer from Las Choapas, Veracruz, Mexico, who had been living in the United States for two years, was arrested on January 7, 2026, in Richmond County, Georgia, for driving without a license following a traffic accident. He was transferred to the Robert A. Deyton Detention Center in Madison County on January 11. On January 14 at 2 a.m., after six days in custody, guards found him unconscious and hanging by his neck in his cell. Medical personnel attempted resuscitation and transferred him to a hospital, where he was declared dead one hour later. His cellmate reported he had complained of feeling sick before his death. His family stated he was not allowed to contact them after his arrest and expressed distress at this lack of communication. His brother Feliciano stated, "We want justice because they should have given him medical attention." His 102-year-old mother, Catalina Sánchez Domínguez, expressed her pain at learning her son died in U.S. police custody. His family disputes official accounts and has called for a thorough investigation into why he did not receive medical care. Mexico's consulate in Atlanta and the Mexican Foreign Ministry requested a prompt and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his death.

Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, a 46-year-old Eritrean man and respected leader of the Muslim community, died on December 14, 2025, after 216 days in ICE custody at Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center in Pennsylvania. On December 5, 2025, Abdulkadir filed a habeas corpus petition seeking release from custody. He sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on December 11, 2025, but the court denied both motions. On January 13, 2026, the court dismissed his habeas petition as moot following his death. CAIR Northern Ohio and CAIR Philadelphia issued a statement expressing condolences to his family and reaffirming their commitment to advocating for humane treatment in immigration detention facilities.

Videos emerged showing Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICE nurse, being forcibly taken to the ground by federal immigration agents on January 13 after kicking out the tail light of their vehicle during a Minneapolis protest. The altercation occurred 11 days before Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol officers on January 24. The videos show Pretti struggling with agents and a handgun visible in his waistband, though he did not reach for it and it is unclear if agents saw the weapon.

Randall Gamboa Esquivel, a Costa Rican man, was detained by ICE after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in December 2024. During nearly 10 months in detention at facilities in south Texas, his health deteriorated significantly, and he was deported to Costa Rica in September 2025 in a vegetative state. He died five weeks later without regaining consciousness, while his family and authorities remain unclear about what caused his severe health decline while in ICE custody.

A migrant man died while attempting to cross the Rio Bravo into the United States and was found floating in the river in Piedras Negras, Coahuila. Rescue teams and Mexican and U.S. authorities coordinated to recover the body. Authorities are investigating whether the victim is José Antonio Sánchez Ríos, 35, from Guanajuato, who disappeared while crossing the river earlier in the week.

Parady La, a 46-year-old Cambodian refugee and longtime Philadelphia-area resident, died in January 2026 after being detained by ICE. La was arrested by ICE on January 6 outside his home and held at the Federal Detention Center (FDC Philadelphia), where he was treated for severe drug withdrawal. On January 7, officers found him unresponsive in his cell, administered CPR and Narcan, and transported him to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he was diagnosed with anoxic brain injury, shock, and multiple organ failures. He died on January 9. His family and organizations including the ACLU of Pennsylvania and CAIR-Philadelphia demanded accountability and transparency, with the ACLU filing a Freedom of Information Act request for records related to his detention, medical treatment, and death.

Arlit Martinez-Carrada's 15-year-old son, Kevin Mendoza Martinez, died of cancer two days after she was arrested by ICE agents outside her workplace in Maryland. Martinez was denied release to be with her son during his final days and learned of his death while in ICE custody at the Baltimore federal building. She was later released on $12,000 bond and attended her son's funeral. Martinez has now decided to self-deport, with her attorneys working on the voluntary departure process.

On January 8, 2026, ICE agents fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an encounter in Minneapolis. Federal authorities claimed the officer fired in self-defense after being run over, but video analysis from multiple angles showed the SUV was turning away from the agent when he fired three shots at close range. Protesters gathered Thursday at the ICE Field Office (Whipple Building) in St. Paul, where federal agents deployed pepper balls, mace, and tear gas.

Federal officers drove through a crowd of protesters outside Hartford's federal building on January 8, 2026, striking at least one person with their vehicles. The protest was held as a vigil for Renee Macklin Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Hartford police are investigating potential hit-and-run and assault charges against the federal officers involved.

Wendy Hernandez Reyes was arrested by ICE on January 8, 2026, during a traffic stop in Mobile, Alabama, while traveling to work. Though she requested to take her 3-year-old U.S. citizen son Orlín with her when deported on January 26, ICE denied her request. She was forced to leave him in the care of her brother-in-law, who subsequently killed the boy. Hernandez Reyes is now in Honduras grieving the loss of her son.

An investigation identified Border Patrol agents Michael Sveum (EZ-2) and Edgar Vazquez (EZ-17) from an El Paso BORTAC unit as key participants in violent federal enforcement operations across the Midwest. The agents were documented using chemical munitions, pepper spray, and tear gas against crowds in Chicago and Minneapolis, including at the scene where ICE agent Jonathan Ross killed Renée Good on January 7, 2026. The investigation analyzed body camera footage, CBP reports, and incident videos to identify the agents and their role in multiple violent escalations.

ICE officers shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. DHS and President Trump claimed Good attempted to run over officers with her vehicle. Multiple videos reviewed by CNN show the incident occurred after officers approached her stationary SUV and told her to exit the vehicle. Video evidence shows the car made contact with an officer before he fired his weapon.

Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, a 68-year-old Honduran national who had lived in the U.S. for decades, died on January 6, 2026, at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio while in ICE custody. He was arrested during an ICE enforcement operation in Newark, New Jersey, on November 16, 2025, and transferred to the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico. While detained, he complained of vomiting, stomach pain, chest pain, and shortness of breath for over a week, but medical staff only provided pain pills without diagnosing the underlying cause. He was transferred to El Centro Regional Medical Center on January 4 after developing chest pain, then airlifted to JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio, where he was pronounced dead two days later. Medical personnel determined the cause was heart-related complications. His family was not notified until after his death and later questioned the quality and timeliness of his medical care.

Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, a 42-year-old Honduran man with no criminal history, died on January 5, 2026 at HCA Houston Healthcare in Conroe, Texas after complications from congestive heart failure. He was detained by ICE on November 17, 2025 while on his way to work and initially held at Montgomery Processing Center before being transferred to Joe Corley ICE Processing Center on November 25. Despite repeated requests, he was unable to access medication needed to manage his congenital heart condition while in ICE custody. He was hospitalized on December 23, 2025 for worsening heart complications, admitted to intensive care on December 31 after multiple severe medical episodes, and died on January 5. His family faced a $4,000 cost to transport his body to Honduras for burial.