Human Impact Project

Jaime Morejon Arias, a citizen of Ecuador who has resided in the United States since 2023, entered the country without inspection and filed a timely asylum application shortly thereafter. On November 19, 2025, he was served with a Notice to Appear charging him as removable for being present without admission or parole. On July 25, 2026, ICE took him into custody and transferred him to the Clinton County Correctional Facility in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where he was held without a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b). His immigration records show no criminal history and no final order of removal. Petitioner filed a pro se habeas corpus petition arguing he should instead be detained under the discretionary provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which entitles detainees to a bond hearing, and that his detention without such a hearing violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights. Respondents did not dispute the facts but argued his detention was lawful under § 1225(b). The Court, following the majority view among federal courts and several circuit courts of appeals, agreed with Petitioner, ruling that § 1225(b)(2)(A) applies only to noncitizens affirmatively seeking admission, not those like Petitioner who have resided in the country for years. The Court granted the habeas petition, ordered Petitioner's immediate release, permanently enjoined Respondents from detaining him under § 1225(b), and required a bond hearing before an immigration judge if he is later detained under § 1226(a).

Luis Vasquez Alvarado fled Guatemala in 2023 after being threatened by a gang and applied for asylum with his family, settling in the Las Vegas area. On May 30, 2026, he was arrested by Metropolitan Police Department; upon his June 1 release, ICE detained him without providing a bond hearing. Vasquez Alvarado filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his detention, but federal authorities failed to substantively respond and made misrepresentations about their communication with his attorneys. U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware ruled on Friday that Vasquez Alvarado was subject to mandatory detention, found his detention was erroneous and prolonged, and determined that federal authorities failed to identify any lawful authority permitting continued detention. The judge ordered his immediate release.

Yasmin Suarez Reyes, a 45-year-old Venezuelan citizen with dual Spanish citizenship, was arrested by ICE agents at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport on July 24, 2026, while preparing to travel with her fiancé, Texas businessman John Gannon. Suarez Reyes entered the U.S. legally in October 2023 under the Visa Waiver Program and filed for asylum in January 2024 before her initial 90-day stay expired. While her asylum case remained pending, she obtained a work permit and Texas driver's license and had no criminal record. According to Gannon, ICE officers "swarmed" Suarez Reyes without explanation and "wrestled her off into a car." DHS said she was detained for illegal overstay after her lawful admission expired on January 19, 2024, noting that pending asylum applications do not confer legal status. Suarez Reyes was being held at Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas for deportation processing. Gannon told media he regretted voting for Trump, saying agents are "picking up law-abiding citizens" and "destroying families."

Safiatou Mansare is a national of Guinea currently detained by U.S. immigration authorities at the Port Isabel Service Processing Center in Cameron County, Texas. She has protection from removal to Guinea. Respondents intend to remove her imminently to Ghana, a third country, without providing her a reasonable fear interview regarding removal to that country. Mansare filed a verified petition challenging her removal as violating her constitutional rights and seeking a temporary restraining order. The court found that her removal would cause immediate and irreparable injury, as she would be unable to seek habeas relief if removed. On August 5, 2026, the court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting removal to a designated third country less than seven days after providing notice, requiring compliance with March 2025 Guidance procedures regardless of diplomatic assurances, and prohibiting transfer outside the Southern District of Texas except to a third country subject to the order's conditions. The court ordered Mansare to file a response to the motion to dismiss by August 14, 2026, clarifying jurisdictional bases for her claims.

Sarafinah Bukirwa, a 31-year-old Ugandan immigrant and founder of Sarafinah Sickle Cell Society, a nonprofit treating sickle cell anemia, was detained by ICE on July 22, 2026, at Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville while traveling to a sickle cell anemia conference in California. Bukirwa entered the U.S. legally on a visa to expand her nonprofit work and has a pending asylum claim with valid work authorization. After being held at Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield, Kentucky, her family reported she was denied her required sickle cell medication for nearly a week despite having the medication with her, with prescriptions reportedly diluted in water and withheld. She experienced a medical crisis requiring hospitalization at a Louisville hospital the day before her detention. Her brother Isaac Kabunga stated at a press conference that ICE agents claimed she was arrested for overstaying her visa, though U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey confirmed she is following proper legal procedures and called for her immediate release, stating her condition could become life-threatening without proper treatment.

A community member was detained by ICE agents at a Denver DMV office while applying for a driver's license. The person had a pending asylum case, valid work authorization, and no criminal record, according to the post. Their family and church are requesting prayers and calling for justice and respect for the person's dignity while awaiting their release.

Min Khant Zaw, a Rohingya man who fled genocide in Myanmar, was detained by ICE on July 21 when he landed at a U.S. airport. According to the post, Zaw had been residing legally in the U.S. and is described as an activist and environmentalist. He remains in custody without having committed any crime, according to the account.

F.S., a 32-year-old asylum seeker from Guatemala, was arrested by ICE after beginning the vetting process to gain custody of her 13-year-old son, who has been in a federal shelter for over eight months as of July 2026. F.S. fled Guatemala in 2023 due to violence and had been living in the U.S. while her asylum case was pending, making four-hour drives to visit her son weekly at the shelter. When she came forward to sponsor him, ICE arrested her as part of the Trump administration's operation targeting undocumented sponsors. Her son's mental health has severely deteriorated during his prolonged shelter stay; he has been prescribed anxiety medications and was recently admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Both mother and son have agreed to accept deportation to reunite sooner. F.S. fears retaliation for speaking publicly about her case.

Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas, a 27-year-old Ecuadorian au pair and software developer, was detained by plainclothes ICE agents at Denver International Airport while boarding a Southwest Airlines flight to Oakland. She had entered the U.S. lawfully on a J-1 exchange visitor visa in early 2023 and, before that visa expired, filed an immigration application allowing her to remain with federal authorization while her case was pending, according to her attorney Laura Lichter. ICE alleged she had overstayed her visa, but Lichter said Rojas "followed the rules of her program" and worked legally under federal employment authorization as a software developer for a recycling app company in Oakland. Agents in civilian clothing removed her from the jetway and placed her in a Homeland Security van as friends and fellow passengers watched, and the arrest was captured on video that circulated widely amid a broader increase in ICE enforcement at U.S. airports. She was transferred to the Aurora ICE Processing Center, where a federal immigration judge later ordered her release on a $3,000 bond. The family she worked for said, "She is a part of my family. She has never hurt anyone and just lives a quiet life. She came here legally and tried to do everything right."

Josue Isai Pire-Hidalgo, a 31-year-old custodian at Farnsworth Elementary School in Chicago Public Schools, was detained by ICE on July 17 during what he believed was a routine immigration appointment for his family's asylum case. The family had entered the United States in late 2022, applied for asylum, and obtained work permits; both Pire-Hidalgo and his wife secured jobs as CPS custodians. His wife and two children (ages 13 and 6) were released from the appointment, though his wife was required to wear an ankle monitor. Their 6-year-old daughter has asthma and relies on daily medication. Pire-Hidalgo has hearing loss in both ears and relies on hearing aids, which he brought into detention but has no charger for. He is being held at a jail in Clay County, Indiana, with his next hearing scheduled for July 28. The school community and SEIU Local 73 have organized support efforts including a GoFundMe that raised nearly $15,000 and meal trains for the family.

José Gregorio González, a 43-year-old Venezuelan immigrant, traveled to the United States to donate a kidney to his brother José Alfredo Pacheco, who has end-stage renal disease. González was arrested in March 2025 after accompanying his brother to a dialysis appointment, despite having no criminal record and a deportation order on file. ICE temporarily released him in April 2025 to proceed with the kidney donation. The transplant occurred in August 2025. González's one-year humanitarian parole expired in March 2026, and his attorney was seeking an extension to allow him to remain in the country through March 2027 for post-transplant medical monitoring. On July 21, 2026, González was detained by ICE during a routine immigration check-in while the parole extension was being pursued. Pacheco has experienced complications since the transplant and relies on González for care.

Ramatu Roseline B. is a national from Sierra Leone who was placed under a final removal order but had her removal statutorily withheld after an immigration judge found her life and freedom would be threatened if removed. She was released from immigration detention on an Order of Supervision approximately one year ago. Three weeks ago, the government revoked her Order of Supervision and re-detained her. The government announced plans to remove her to Ghana, a country to which she has no connection. She filed a habeas corpus petition challenging her detention and a motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent removal. The court granted her motion, finding she demonstrated sufficient likelihood of success on the merits and that the balance of equities strongly favored her. The court expressed concerns about the government's actions, particularly the plan to remove her to a third country despite diplomatic assurances that Ghana might return her to Sierra Leone where her safety is threatened.

Freddy Samuel Gomez Gutierrez, a Salvadoran national, entered the United States near the southern border on November 23, 2022, presented himself to immigration authorities, and was released on humanitarian parole. While released, he complied with all reporting requirements, filed a pending asylum application, obtained employment authorization valid through January 2029, and was issued a Social Security number. He has been steadily employed at a printing company in Los Angeles since March 2024, filed federal and state taxes, and has been married to a U.S. citizen since March 2026, serving as the principal financial provider for his household. On July 20, 2026, ICE re-detained him at his scheduled check-in appointment at the ICE Los Angeles Field Office without notice or a pre-deprivation hearing, despite his full compliance with parole conditions and lack of criminal history. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted his habeas corpus petition, finding that re-detention without a hearing violated procedural due process under the Mathews v. Eldridge test, and ordered his release on his prior conditions within 24 hours.

Alevtina Soboleva, a 59-year-old Russian asylum seeker from Sunnyvale, California, was detained by ICE agents at Buffalo Niagara International Airport on July 20 while returning from a vacation to Niagara Falls with her adult daughter, Daria. Soboleva had entered the U.S. legally on a visitor visa in 2021 and applied for asylum before it expired, citing fears of persecution in Russia over her opposition to the war in Ukraine. Her attorney said she held valid asylum documentation and work authorization. Daria said her mother, who has a progressive neurological disorder and gum disease requiring special hygiene care, was restrained with handcuffs and chains that caused her pain, developed an untreated fever, and was held in a cage without adequate water or bathroom access. She was transferred through multiple facilities, including Mahoning County Jail in Ohio and a South Louisiana ICE processing center. A federal judge later set her bond at $10,000, and she was released after nearly a month in custody and reunited with her daughter in the Bay Area.

Vlad, a 23-year-old Russian asylum seeker, was deported to Moscow on July 20, 2026, after missing his May asylum hearing in Tucson. Vlad fled Russia in 2022 and presented himself at the San Ysidro port of entry in December 2022 requesting asylum protection. He had been living in Tucson with his partner Andrea Landavazo. Vlad expressed deep fear of being conscripted into the Russian military or imprisoned upon return due to his political beliefs and opposition to the Russia-Ukraine war. He was detained by ICE in June 2026 and held at ICE's Florence Service Processing Center during a measles lockdown. An order of deportation was issued in absentia, and Vlad did not receive the standard $2,600 in departure funds typically provided for voluntary departure, as ICE stated he did not leave voluntarily.

Adrian Mendoza, an Ecuadoran man who fled persecution in 2023, was detained during an ICE raid at a food manufacturing plant in the Kansas City area. His wife, Aylin Castro, was not notified by ICE and learned of his detention through social media when agents detained eight people at the facility. Castro told KCUR 893 that the last message she received from Mendoza came as he said goodbye, telling her he loved her and thanking her for breakfast she had packed in his lunchbox.

Yevhenii Saienko is a Ukrainian citizen who fled Russia's invasion in early 2024 after his home in Luhansk was destroyed by a Russian missile. He arrived in the United States on February 28, 2024 with DHS travel authorization and was granted parole under the Uniting for Ukraine program. Over more than two years in the US, Saienko obtained employment as a commercial truck driver, paid taxes, developed strong community ties, and committed no criminal offense. On July 19, 2026, local law enforcement in Cheyenne, Wyoming detained him during a routine traffic stop after learning he lacked lawful immigration status, and transferred him to ICE custody without any criminal charge, warrant, prior notice, or individualized assessment of flight risk or dangerousness. DHS initiated removal proceedings on July 21, 2026. Saienko filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the lawfulness of his detention and seeking either immediate release or a prompt bond hearing before an Immigration Judge. On August 7, 2026, the federal district court granted the petition, finding the detention violated both the Immigration and Nationality Act and Fifth Amendment due process rights, and ordered Saienko's immediate release by August 9, 2026 on his own recognizance with no additional conditions beyond his original parole.

Alim Garipov, an 18-year-old Russian senior at Bellaire High School in Houston, was detained by ICE at Hobby Airport on July 17, 2026, while traveling with family to visit colleges. Garipov arrived in the United States on May 7, 2022, at age 14 with authorization to remain until November 6, 2022, but stayed in the country after his authorized period expired. He has a pending asylum application from Russia. Teachers and former classmates described Garipov as hardworking, kind, and a standout swimmer who served as team captain. Educator Elizabeth Chapman stated he "has done everything right" and described him as "the kindest, most sensitive boy." Garipov founded the school's Russian Culture Club and worked to learn English. He was held in ICE detention in Conroe for more than 72 hours. U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher's office worked with the family on the case.

Shaoping Wu, a 48-year-old Chinese human rights lawyer, was detained by ICE in mid-July 2026 while working as an Amazon delivery driver in Pennsylvania. Wu fled China in 2019 after the government cracked down on lawyers challenging authorities in civil rights cases. He arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa, filed for asylum in 2020, and received work authorization. He had been working full-time as a delivery driver since April 2025 while continuing his advocacy work criticizing the Chinese Communist Party. Wu was living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with his wife Li Caoliu and their 17-year-old daughter, a Hempfield High School student. During his arrest, he informed police about his pending asylum application, but they notified immigration officials who detained him at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County. His wife expressed concern about lost income and mounting bills while helping with his defense. Human rights organizations have warned that Wu could face serious retaliation if deported to China.

Celestin Dima, a gay asylum seeker from Burkina Faso, fled kidnapping, military persecution and police torture after being outed before crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in 2024. In August 2025, an Arizona immigration judge granted him withholding of removal, finding he would likely face persecution if deported home, but ICE continued holding him at the Eloy Detention Center for nearly two years while searching for a third country willing to accept him, considering Ghana, Cameroon and Uganda—all countries where homosexuality is criminalized. While detained, he stopped eating and was placed in solitary confinement for two weeks. A federal judge ordered his release in June 2025 after granting a joint habeas petition, but ICE redetained him on July 17 during a mandatory check-in at a field office in Lower Manhattan. He was then transferred through detention facilities in New Jersey and near Dallas, fitted with a GPS ankle monitor, and later scheduled for deportation to the Central African Republic without being told in advance where he would be sent.

Claudia Carolina Rodriguez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan who arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2017, was detained by ICE agents at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 17 after passing through TSA security while boarding a domestic flight to North Carolina to watch World Cup matches with friends. Rodriguez held Temporary Protected Status that had expired and had a pending asylum application at the time of her arrest. She was initially held at the Miramar processing facility for eight days, where she reported severe conditions including overcrowding (roughly 47 women in one room sleeping on bare floors), expired or moldy food, inadequate water access, lack of access to showers, and inability to change clothes or go outside. She lost approximately 15 pounds during detention. After transfer to the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, an immigration judge granted her bond on August 3, and she was released wearing an ankle monitor. Her family says she has no criminal record and intends to continue fighting her asylum case.

Omar de Jesus Bermudez Navarrete, a non-citizen from El Salvador who entered the United States in 2021, was arrested and detained by ICE agents outside his apartment building in San Francisco on July 17, 2026. ICE agents arrested him without presenting a warrant at the time, claiming it was at their office. Navarrete has no criminal record, filed an asylum application, received work authorization, and is the sole provider for his pregnant wife and two young children. The court granted his temporary restraining order requiring immediate release and prohibiting re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that detention is necessary to prevent flight or protect the public.

A federal judge ordered the immediate release of Nyamuoch Thomas Duoth, a lawful permanent resident born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 1994, from an Iowa jail where she was held by ICE. Duoth, a citizen of South Sudan, had been detained since March 2025 after ICE said it intended to deport her to South Sudan or Ethiopia, though officials failed to show progress toward removal for more than six months after her removal order became final. U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher said the government's argument that her past criminal history justified continued detention was 'hard to take seriously,' noting she had lived in the community without incident for years after her convictions. Duoth's attorneys are now seeking reimbursement of legal fees from the federal government.

ICE agents detained Matar Ndiaye at an immigration court in Manhattan while he attended a mandatory asylum hearing, despite a May 2026 federal court order prohibiting such arrests. This marks at least the sixth arrest at Manhattan immigration courts since U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel's ruling. Ndiaye, a Bronx resident with no criminal convictions who had complied with all immigration directives, was transferred to Delaney Hall detention facility in New Jersey.

David Ardila, a 33-year-old DJ from Venezuela, was detained by ICE at Logan Airport on July 10, 2026, after returning from attending a FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match in Boston. Ardila fled Venezuela and applied for asylum in 2017, entering the U.S. on a valid visa that year. He holds a Social Security number and work permits and has been following all legal processes required while waiting nearly a decade for an asylum interview. ICE detained him for allegedly overstaying his visa by over eight years, which his attorney Todd Pomerleau attributes to delays in the asylum application process. Ardila has no criminal record and is currently being held at Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts, approximately 3,000 miles from his family in Seattle, with legal challenges being filed seeking his release and permission to remain in Massachusetts during his immigration proceedings.

Florence Absosede Johnson, a 72-year-old citizen of Nigeria, was admitted to the U.S. in B-2 visitor status in October 2020 and later overstayed her authorized stay; her asylum application has been pending with USCIS since June 2024 and she held a valid work permit through December 2026. She has no criminal history. Johnson is insulin-dependent with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and a diagnosed psychotic disorder, requiring nightly insulin, twice-daily glucose testing, metformin, and aripiprazole. ICE arrested her on July 14, 2026 at Los Angeles International Airport as she boarded a domestic flight, and she has since been detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center for 27 days without any Notice to Appear being filed or produced. Her counsel made three attempts to obtain a custody/bond hearing from the Adelanto Immigration Court, all of which were rejected on shifting and contradictory administrative grounds, while EOIR's own systems disagreed about whether a removal case was even pending. Counsel also reported that Johnson went several days without her metformin and aripiprazole medications, with no confirmation the interruption was resolved. She filed a habeas petition and TRO application seeking release, a custody hearing, medication continuity, and other relief. The court granted the petition in part, ordering an initial § 1226(a) bond hearing within seven days, denied outright release, dismissed her medical/conditions claims without prejudice to a civil action, ordered preservation of records and no transfer out of the district without notice, and required Respondents to file a status report on her medications within 48 hours.

Styrobert, a defected Venezuelan military officer who fled Venezuela in 2019 after opposing government corruption and human rights violations, was taken into custody at his routine ICE check-in appointment on July 14, 2026, despite appearing with his attorney and having a pending asylum petition. The ICE officer aggressively confined him to a separate room, insulted his attorney, and confiscated his phone, wallet, and clothing. Styrobert was transferred between multiple detention facilities—ICE Baltimore to Farmville, Virginia; then to Richmond ICE processing center; and finally to Wynn Detention Center in Louisiana. His attorney filed a Habeas Corpus Petition on 7/17 and a Temporary Restraining Order on 7/19 to prevent further transfers or deportation. Styrobert faces grave danger if deported to Venezuela, where he is considered an "Enemy of the State" and would face imprisonment and torture in the country's notorious prisons.

A Haitian man with a pending asylum application was arrested by ICE on July 14, 2026, while exiting a supermarket in Barrio Obrero, San Juan, after purchasing groceries. According to community leader Jonathan Hernández, the man was detained roughly by approximately ten federal agents immediately after leaving the store. The man has had an active asylum petition pending since August 12, 2025. Community members including interpreter Leonard Prophil expressed concern that deportation to Haiti could endanger his life, given the documented dangers facing returned Haitian migrants.

Lorenzo Thompson, a Jamaican citizen and Southwest Airlines flight attendant, was detained by ICE agents at Nashville International Airport on July 14, 2026, while returning from a work trip. Thompson lawfully entered the United States on April 17, 2021, on a six-month visitor visa and has been working as a flight attendant while pursuing legal status through an active asylum application. He holds a valid work permit and has no criminal record. His best friend Kristin Foster stated that Thompson is seeking refuge from life-threatening abuse, and colleagues described him as a well-liked, caring worker. Thompson and his supporters dispute ICE's characterization that he overstayed his visa, asserting he has followed legal procedures and maintained compliance with immigration requirements. He is being held at a correctional facility in Mississippi pending immigration proceedings. The Transport Workers Union Local 556 stated they are working with Thompson's attorney and committed to supporting him and his family.

Carlos Ernesto Guerra Cruz, who arrived in the United States four years ago with a pending asylum case, was detained by ICE on a Saturday following a local incident. He was initially taken to a detention facility in Centennial, Colorado, and after spending the weekend in custody, was told he would be released on Monday. However, as he was being released, ICE took him into custody and transferred him to the ICE detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. His wife Yorliana and their two children, ages 8 and 12, are now facing financial and emotional hardship due to his detention.

A man who entered the U.S. on a valid visa and had complied with immigration appointments for seven years was arrested in the middle of his asylum interview. He faced transfer to a detention center near Bakersfield, separated from his American spouse and U.S.-born children. Attorney Elizabeth Knowles from the Bay Area Habeas Network filed an emergency habeas petition after midnight, and a federal judge ordered his immediate release within five hours.

Andres Camilo Herrera Fonseca, a citizen of Colombia, has been in the United States since December 29, 2024, when he presented at the border, was issued a Notice to Appear charging him as removable for lacking valid entry documents, and was granted parole and released on his own recognizance. He has applied for asylum. On July 13, 2026, he was arrested and detained by ICE and has remained in custody without a bond hearing since. He has no criminal history and no final order of removal, and is detained at the Pike County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania. On July 20, 2026, he filed a habeas corpus petition and a motion for a temporary restraining order in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, arguing that his detention under the mandatory detention provision of 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b) is unlawful because he was paroled into the country and is no longer 'seeking admission,' and that he is instead subject to the discretionary detention provision, 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which entitles him to a bond hearing.

Xiaoqin Dai, a Chinese national admitted to the U.S. on a valid B-1/B-2 visa on April 4, 2024, was re-detained by ICE on July 13, 2026, at Los Angeles International Airport without notice, warrant, or hearing. During her two+ years in the country, she had been granted employment authorization, worked lawfully, established community ties, and maintained a clean criminal record while her asylum application was pending. The court ordered her release on her prior conditions within 24 hours, finding her re-detention without pre-deprivation process violated Fifth Amendment due process rights.

Supreet Singh Khanchi, a native and citizen of India, entered the United States without inspection in December 2022 and was released under an order of supervision while his pending asylum application was processed. On June 25, 2026, when he reported for a routine ICE check-in that he had consistently attended, he was re-detained without notice, explanation, or opportunity to be heard, despite having no criminal history and complying with all conditions of release. The court ordered his immediate release, finding that the revocation of his prior release violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights because he was deprived of liberty without an opportunity to be heard and there was no evidence of changed circumstances.

Jacob Zapeta-Castro, a Guatemalan national and owner of El Quetzal Bakery in Lake Worth Beach, was detained by ICE agents on July 9, 2026. According to his family and advocates, Zapeta-Castro locked himself and his coworkers inside the business to protect undocumented employees from detention. ICE characterized his actions as fleeing agents. At the time of arrest, Zapeta-Castro held a valid work permit, Social Security number, and driver's license, and had filed for asylum in June 2024 and a withholding of removal petition. Multi-agency law enforcement—including ICE, Florida Highway Patrol, and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office—surrounded the business with approximately 50 officers while roughly 50 community members protested outside. The standoff lasted hours in extreme heat. He was charged with re-entering the country after deportation and held in ICE detention in Stuart, with his arraignment scheduled for July 29 in federal court in West Palm Beach. His arrest occurred during a four-day ICE operation in Palm Beach County that resulted in 309 total arrests.

Walter Carmelo Calero Cruz, a Nicaraguan national who entered the U.S. in September 2022 and was released on recognizance with asylum pending, was arrested for driving under the influence on July 4, 2026. He reported to ICE offices on July 9, 2026 pursuant to his release conditions and was detained at Golden State Annex Detention Facility. The court granted his habeas corpus petition, finding his re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause, and ordered a substantive bond hearing within 14 days where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he poses a danger or flight risk.

Marcos, an asylum seeker detained at Florence Correctional Center in Arizona, expressed fear for his safety while in custody. He fears becoming the next person to die in detention, referencing Emmanuel Damas. The facility was experiencing a measles outbreak at the time of contact.

Luis U., 51, a Venezuelan immigrant who had become part of the Lake Placid community, was detained by ICE agents at his hotel job on July 8, 2026. His family asked that his full last name be withheld out of fear of further detentions. Family, friends, and advocates are fighting for his release.

Carlos Hugo Betancur, a 52-year-old Colombian national, was detained by ICE on July 8, 2026, while pumping gas at a Marathon station in Doral on his way to work. An immigration officer approached him from behind, asked for identification, and detained him after he provided his Florida driver's license. Betancur had filed a political asylum application in January 2023 and possessed both an employment authorization card and a Florida driver's license. He spent 8 days at the Miramar Processing Center and 8 days at Krome Detention Center before being released on electronic monitoring. At Miramar, he described severe overcrowding, with 93 to 104 detainees held in a single room with insufficient space for everyone to sit or sleep simultaneously. His daughter, Maria Alejandra Betancur, disputed the detention, noting he had valid asylum and work authorization documents. He is now required to wear an ankle monitor while his immigration case proceeds before an immigration judge.

Erianny Rodriguez Balza, a Venezuelan woman with active Temporary Protected Status (TPS), was detained by ICE at Eloy Detention Center in Arizona for approximately 9 months. Court filings show that a federal government attorney acknowledged her legal status, yet she remained in detention despite this acknowledgment. She was eventually released after the wrongful detention.

Manana Razmadze, a Georgian citizen who was paroled into the United States on May 8, 2023 to pursue a pending asylum application, was detained by ICE on July 6, 2026 at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana. She filed a habeas petition challenging her detention and seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent removal, arguing violations of due process rights and procedural requirements under immigration law. The federal court denied her emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and stay of removal, finding it lacked jurisdiction over the removal order and finding insufficient grounds for the extraordinary relief sought.

Hani Tedros, a native of Eritrea, entered the United States in September 2023 and has a pending asylum application. He was detained on July 5, 2026, and is currently held in ICE custody at the Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro, Louisiana. Tedros filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus arguing that his continued detention without an individualized custody determination violates his due process rights. He also moved for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction seeking either a custody redetermination hearing or immediate release, and requested an expedited hearing. The court denied the motions, finding that Tedros showed no threat of imminent harm beyond ordinary detention hardships and was effectively trying to obtain the ultimate relief sought in his habeas petition through emergency motions. The court noted he had only been detained for one month and provided no basis to prioritize his case over the 1,406 other alien detainee habeas petitions pending in the district.

Ankush Kumar, a party worker from India, entered the United States without inspection in March 2022 and was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol. He timely filed an asylum application on August 12, 2022, seeking asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture protection based on political opinion, and had been faithfully conducting ICE reporting check-ins. On February 16, 2026, Kumar was arrested by local police for assault with a deadly weapon following an altercation at a convenience store where he worked as a clerk; he claims the charge was subsequently dropped. On July 5, 2026, Kumar was arrested by ICE during a routine supervision check-in and taken into custody at Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California. Kumar filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his re-detention without a bond hearing as a violation of his Fifth Amendment due process rights. The federal court granted his petition in part, finding that 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), not § 1225(b), governs his detention, and ordered respondents to provide him an individualized bond hearing within 14 days before an immigration judge where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he poses a danger to the community or flight risk.

Resham Singh, an Indian citizen who entered the U.S. on July 15, 2023, was detained on July 3, 2026, when he appeared at a local ICE office for a routine check-in appointment. Singh had been released on his own recognizance in an Alternatives to Detention program and had a pending asylum application with valid employment authorization. The court found his detention violated due process and ordered his immediate release, prohibiting future detention without seven days' notice and a bond hearing before a neutral arbiter.

Joel Anderson Sandoval Espinoza, a citizen of Peru, entered the United States on June 9, 2023, and has lived and worked in the country since then, employed in the A/C mechanics and warehouse industry while paying taxes and contributing to his community. He has two toddlers who are United States citizens. After presenting himself at a port of entry and expressing fear of returning to Peru, he passed a credible fear interview and was paroled into the country to pursue asylum, with his asylum application still pending in ongoing removal proceedings. On July 1, 2026, DHS detained him after he left his local DMV office, and he argued his parole and liberty had been unlawfully revoked without notice or justification. He was held at the Denver Contract Detention Facility and filed a habeas petition seeking immediate release or, alternatively, a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). The court found he was improperly subject to mandatory detention under § 1225(b)(2), citing prior rulings and a Tenth Circuit decision limiting that provision's application to noncitizens detained at the border. The court granted the habeas petition, ordered his immediate release without conditions such as GPS monitoring, enjoined his re-arrest absent a clear-and-convincing-evidence bond hearing, and denied his TRO/preliminary injunction motion as moot.

Daniel Ouguegazu, a Venezuelan asylum-seeker, was detained by ICE agents at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in July 2026 as he attempted to board a flight. Ouguegazu had filed an asylum application and was awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge. His family later filed a complaint alleging he faced persecution and that his case involved legal violations. According to DHS, he remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Artemio Ortega Pochotitlan is a Mexican national who first entered the United States in February 2003 and has lived in the U.S. for over 20 years. He was apprehended by ICE in July 2026 during a routine check-in and taken into custody. Petitioner has an asylum application pending since May 1, 2023. He is currently detained at Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California. On July 27, 2026, Petitioner filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his detention as violating Fifth Amendment Due Process rights. The court granted the petition in part and ordered that Respondents provide Petitioner with an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge within 14 days, where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he poses a danger to the community or is a flight risk. If determined not to be a danger or flight risk, the immigration judge should consider alternative conditions of release based on his financial circumstances.

Carrera Macias, a Venezuelan national who entered the United States at age 17 and applied for asylum, was arrested by police in Salt Lake City, Utah in July 2026 and subsequently transferred to the ICE Processing Center in Adelanto, California. Macias filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his detention as unlawful under the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause and immigration statutes, and sought a temporary restraining order for immediate release. The court denied the temporary restraining order application, finding that the alleged harms could be addressed through the court's expedited habeas corpus process.

A man who was legally in the United States and in the asylum process was detained by ICE at Chicago airport, according to his immigration attorney Joe Moravec. He is currently being held by ICE.

An unnamed woman who entered the United States legally and is in the asylum process was detained by ICE at a Washington, DC-area airport this month while traveling home to Texas to attend her father's funeral, according to her immigration attorney Joe Moravec. She is currently being held in Virginia.