Human Impact Project

Alejandra's undocumented parents, who own a home and pay taxes in Nebraska, plan to self-deport to Mexico within six months due to fears of detention by ICE and concerns about conditions at ICE facilities that could jeopardize the mother's health. The family has lived in Nebraska for years as part of a Latino community that has been present for decades, but rising ICE enforcement operations and a new detention facility opening in the state have created an atmosphere of fear among undocumented immigrants.

Alejandra, a 30-year-old undocumented mother of four U.S.-born children, lives in fear of detention and family separation in Nebraska as ICE enforcement intensifies. In June 2025, ICE conducted a raid on a meatpacking plant in Omaha, detaining dozens of people including family friends and church acquaintances. A new ICE detention facility called "Cornhusker Clink" is opening in McCook with capacity for 300 adults. Alejandra's undocumented parents plan to self-deport to Mexico within six months due to fears of detention and concerns about ICE facility conditions.

Maria, a Venezuelan mother in her 30s seeking asylum, was detained in November 2024 during a routine ICE check-in appointment in San Antonio along with her toddler son. They had entered the U.S. through the southern border in 2023. During two months in detention at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Maria reported seeing worms in food, experiencing 24/7 lights, and her son losing weight. In mid-January 2026, after refusing a $5,000 government offer to leave the country, she was released to Laredo with an electronic ankle monitor and required to continue periodic ICE check-ins as an alternative to detention.

A 39-year-old Ecuadorian woman who came to the U.S. nearly a decade earlier seeking asylum was detained by ICE in November after attending regular ICE check-ins every six months since 2020. Her detention forced her to miss scheduled surgery to remove a uterine myoma, and she struggled to obtain medical care for an infection. The detention also affected her now 9-year-old son who has severe autism and ADHD, causing him emotional distress and affecting his ability to focus at school. Her case was documented in habeas corpus petitions filed to challenge her detention.

A Mexican father caring for his 7-year-old son with kidney disease, hypothyroidism, and chronic respiratory failure requiring a feeding tube and ventilator was detained by ICE for 22 days. While he was detained, his son's medical care fell entirely to his mother. A federal judge ordered his release in November.

The Andre family—Carine, an activist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and her three children Estafania, Olivia, and Joel—fled persecution and were initially vetted and released in 2022 to await asylum hearings. After deportation and denied entry to Canada, they were returned to the U.S. and detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley beginning in November 2025, violating the Flores Settlement requiring prompt release of children. Carine and Joel (17) were released in March 2026 after nearly four months in detention; Olivia (19) was released in June 2026 after over five months. Detainees reported inadequate conditions including contaminated food and water, mold, and sleep disruption.

Carlos Guerra Leon, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate from Spring Valley, New York, was arrested without a warrant by federal officers on August 9, 2025, and transferred to Jackson Correctional Facility in Louisiana despite holding approved Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and deferred action status that protected him from deportation under the Biden administration. He came to the U.S. from Guatemala at age 10 after experiencing abandonment and neglect, and had built a stable life attending school and working legally in New York. The National Immigration Project, ACLU of Louisiana, and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights filed a federal habeas petition challenging his detention. After nearly three months in custody over 1,000 miles from home, Federal Judge Terry Doughty issued a temporary restraining order on October 31 ruling Guerra Leon's detention unlawful and that his release "serves the public interest by ensuring that the Government adheres to its own laws." Despite the court order, ICE officials at the Louisiana facility initially refused to release him, claiming to have "no knowledge" of the ruling and forcing an emergency motion before he was finally released and returned home to New York.

Ronald, a Venezuelan immigrant, was arrested at what he believed was a routine appointment at the Centennial ICE field office in November 2025, two days before Thanksgiving. His arrest left his wife Cecilia pregnant and his three sons without a primary breadwinner, contributing to the family's financial collapse and eventual self-deportation decision.

An undocumented immigrant and his family, including three U.S. citizen children, hid in their apartment during a police response to a violent crime in Memphis, fearing ICE enforcement. The family remained on the floor in the dark for about 10 minutes, worried that police would knock on doors searching for suspects and potentially take the father into custody.

L.H., an Indigenous Quechua woman, fled Peru in 2021 with her minor son Y.V. after years of severe gender- and race-based domestic violence, including kidnapping, stalking, and a knife assault by her ex-partner. After settling in California and applying for asylum, DHS moved at a November 2025 hearing to pretermit her applications and seek their removal to Honduras under an Asylum Cooperative Agreement.

Beatriz Pastrana Candela, who was pregnant when arrested by ICE agents in November 2025, was held at Eloy Detention Center in Arizona where medical and corrections staff repeatedly dismissed her claims of pregnancy. She subsequently miscarried while in detention. Her case is part of a documented pattern of inadequate medical care for pregnant individuals in ICE detention facilities.

Aleksei, his wife Anastasia, and their 5-year-old twins were detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley for over 120 days—six times the 20-day legal limit under the Flores Settlement Agreement. An ICE officer falsely told Aleksei that Flores protections were no longer in effect. The twins exhibited severe psychological distress, including meltdowns, sleep disruption, weight loss, and trauma responses such as asking if they were bad people or if guards would kill them. The family was released in February 2026 after securing legal representation and filing a parole request.

A man, Jose Garcia-Sorto, was shot by an ICE agent near I-17 and Dove Valley Road in Phoenix on Wednesday morning. The ICE agent fired two shots at Garcia-Sorto's vehicle after he allegedly attempted to speed away following an initial traffic stop. Garcia-Sorto's wife reports being unable to obtain information from authorities about his condition, and states he is hospitalized under a different name.

Arthur Berto, a 13-year-old asylum-seeking boy from Brazil, was arrested by Everett, Massachusetts police on suspicion of making a violent threat at school. After his mother arrived to pick him up from the police station, ICE took him to a detention facility without informing her of his location or what would happen to him. According to the police chief, this was the first occurrence of this type in Everett.

Edgar Ruiz, a U.S. citizen born in Chicago, was tased in the face by ICE agents outside a 7-Eleven in Des Plaines on October 31, 2025. He was detained for approximately two hours before being released and hospitalized. His undocumented father remained in ICE custody following the incident. Edgar Ruiz, a U.S. citizen born in Chicago, was tased in the face by ICE agents outside a 7-Eleven store in Des Plaines on September 16, 2025, during an operation targeting his undocumented father. Ruiz attempted to hold his vehicle's door closed when agents arrived, and was tased when the agent tried to open it. He was detained for approximately two hours at a facility in Lombard before being released and taken to a hospital for medical attention. His father, Rigoberto Ruiz, who has lived in the United States for 30 years, remained in ICE custody.

A 16-year-old boy named Diego had both parents taken in separate ICE raids. After being released from ICE custody, Diego's mother Yolanda shared her account of the experience. The incident was originally covered in November of the previous year.

MJMA, a 45-year-old farm worker and lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit, was detained in a van stop by ICE agents who smashed the vehicle's windows without waiting for occupants to comply with commands. Body-camera footage shows MJMA asserting her right to remain silent and requesting a lawyer in Spanish, while an officer broke her phone as she called 911. Agents used facial recognition software to scan her face multiple times, obtaining inaccurate matches—one incorrectly identifying her as "Maria"—and falsely claiming she entered the country unlawfully when she had actually arrived with a valid temporary visa. A federal judge ruled the arrests unlawful and unjustified, finding officers engaged in misconduct, made inaccurate statements in reports, and improperly used facial recognition technology without warrants. MJMA has an ongoing asylum case.

A Mexican mother of a 10-month-old was arrested by ICE agents while driving her taxi near O'Hare International Airport and detained at the Broadview facility. She lacked access to a lactation room to pump breast milk for her daughter. A federal judge ordered her release on October 31, the day after her habeas case was filed.

Ruperto Vicens Marquez, a 38-year-old restaurant owner and father of three from Mexico, was detained by ICE after being pulled over on a Sunday morning despite having valid work authorization that does not expire until 2029. Marquez has lived in the U.S. for 18 years and co-owns Emilio's Kitchen in Atlantic Highlands. His community, including the town mayor, rallied to support his release, and his attorney says he should never have been arrested. A detention hearing is scheduled for November 17.

Marta Brizeyda Renderos Leiva, a 39-year-old Salvadoran immigrant and mother of four U.S.-born children, was forcefully arrested by ICE agents in plain clothes at Salt Lake City International Airport on October 29, 2025, while traveling with her sister to visit family in Maryland. Renderos fled El Salvador in 2007 due to domestic violence and political strife, held a valid work permit issued in 2024 through 2029, and had applied for asylum. She was arrested based on a deportation order issued in absentia in February 2020, which she claims she never received due to a notary error listing an incorrect address. Video footage captured agents holding her on each side as she struggled and screamed for help in the airport's pre-security area. Her attorney argues the deportation order should be canceled because she was never properly notified as required by federal law. Two of her children have serious health issues that would be affected by her deportation. Her sister and community members, including teachers and neighbors, describe her as responsible and dedicated to her family. The incident prompted Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and the City Council to express concern about the operation's lack of transparency, the agents' plain clothes without visible identification, and the choice of a public airport lobby as the location.

A Harrisonburg mother was detained by federal agents on Monday morning while taking her teenage daughter to school. A video of the incident was posted on social media.

Jhonatan Bello Cabrera, an 18-year-old Colombian national, was detained during an immigration raid at the Savino del Bene warehouse in Woodbridge, New Jersey, while in the process of obtaining permanent residency through his U.S. citizen stepfather and legal permanent resident mother. He was transferred to detention facilities in New Jersey, Texas and Arizona before being released in December after posting a $6,000 bond and being fitted with an ankle monitor. His mother, Sandra Suero, said she never expected the arrest, calling him "a newly graduated kid, still a child."

Killy Tatiana Yangquen García, a 21-year-old Colombian woman who came to the U.S. at age 10, was arrested at the Savino del Bene bonded warehouse in Woodbridge, New Jersey, during an immigration raid that detained 46 workers. After nearly four months in detention, including transfers across multiple states, an immigration judge denied her bond and she accepted a voluntary departure, returning to Bogotá in February. Her mother, María Eugenia García, said she has struggled to cope with the separation, while Yangquen García's husband, who is applying for U.S. citizenship, hopes to eventually sponsor her return.

Federal authorities arrested 10 anti-ICE activists, including Isai Carrillo, and charged them with violence and property damage during immigration enforcement operations in Southern California between June and July 2025. The charges stem from three separate incidents: a June 6 incident in the Fashion District where a protester allegedly used pepper spray against federal agents; a June 8 downtown Los Angeles protest at Civic Center where demonstrators allegedly threw objects at officers; and a July 10 protest at a federal operation in Camarillo where protesters allegedly blocked vehicles, threw rocks, and damaged federal property. Two members of VC Defensa, an organization prosecutors said operates a rapid response network to impede immigration agents, were among those charged. Federal authorities arrested the suspects on October 29, 2025, with charges including conspiring to obstruct federal law enforcement.

Protesters gathered at the Durango ICE Facility after agents detained a father and two children (ages 12 and 15) following a traffic stop. The family possesses valid documentation and an active legal asylum process. During the demonstration, a federal agent allegedly pushed a protester. The City of Durango requested investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which declined the request.

Illinois state representative Hoan Huynh, a Vietnamese refugee, reported being confronted by ICE and Customs and Border Patrol agents who pointed a gun at his head while he monitored immigration enforcement operations on Chicago's North Side. Huynh was documenting the agents' activities and informing residents of their rights when the incident occurred. ICE enforcement operations in Chicago have separated families from their communities. Gerardo Perez's mother was arrested and deported in June.

An unidentified law enforcement officer placed a 57-year-old woman named Franci Stagi in a chokehold and threw her down a grassy embankment during a protest outside an ICE field office in Durango, Colorado on October 28. The incident was recorded on video. Hundreds of protesters had gathered at the location. The officer wore a black balaclava and tactical vest labeled with 'Police' or 'Police HSI' and was not identified as part of any specific law enforcement agency.

Fernando Jaramillo-Solano, 45, a Colombian national seeking asylum, was arrested by ICE along with his two children, ages 11 and 14, while taking them to school in Durango, Colorado on October 28, 2025. ICE stated Jaramillo-Solano had allegedly entered the U.S. unauthorized on December 22, 2024. The father was transported to a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, while the children were held in an ICE facility in southern Texas. Local police attempted multiple times to secure the children's release to their mother but were denied entry to the facility by federal agents. Colorado Governor Jared Polis expressed concern about the operation and stated ICE did not inform the state in advance.

Miguel Lopez is an undocumented man who has lived the majority of his life in the United States. A court case on Tuesday revealed a possible path for Miguel to return to Livermore and his wife and three children and granddaughter. His deportation order was based on the Department of Homeland Security's decision in 2014 to revoke his green card — an order he has continued to contest. His attorney argues that the 2014 decision violated his due process rights to review the decision. If granted, lawyers can begin presenting arguments about whether Lopez will receive a review of that 2014 decision to uphold the revocation of his green card.

Leticia Nevares, a mother of three who has lived in the U.S. for more than 35 years, was detained by ICE on September 16 after attending a scheduled green card interview at the USCIS office in Fresno, California. The appointment was supposed to be the final step in her legal residency application process. She was placed in handcuffs and transported to a detention facility in Bakersfield, then transferred to a facility in California City run by CoreCivic. Nevares works as an elderly caretaker and has no criminal history. According to her son Steven Rodriguez, she has devoted countless hours to community service, including helping at food drives, caring for sick neighbors, and providing end-of-life care to elderly community members. Her next court hearing was scheduled for October 28.

Fernando Jaramillo Solano, an asylum-seeker from Colombia, and his two children—12-year-old Jana Michel Jaramillo Patiño and 15-year-old Kewin Daniel Patiño Bustamante—were detained by ICE agents on October 27 while he was driving them to school near a mobile home park in Durango, Colorado. The family had lived in Colorado for more than 18 months with an active asylum case and no criminal record. Immigration officials later admitted during a federal court hearing that Jaramillo Solano was not their intended target. The family was separated from the children's mother, Estela Patiño, who remains in Durango. On October 28, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the ICE field office demanding their release; ICE agents in tactical gear used pepper spray and rubber bullets against demonstrators, breaking through a human chain protesters had formed. The family was subsequently granted voluntary departure, with ICE facilitating their return to Colombia.

The Shrine of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic church near the White House, is experiencing increased fear among its mostly immigrant congregation due to the immigration crackdown. The church, intended as a sanctuary for worshippers, now serves a community steeped in anxiety over immigration enforcement actions.

Jose Jeronimo Guardian, a 48-year-old undocumented immigrant, was detained by ICE agents outside Clinton County Courthouse in Illinois on October 27, 2025, as he arrived for a scheduled court hearing on DUI charges. Guardian had lived in southern Illinois for approximately 20 years and was attempting to appear in traffic court as required. His family stated he was not hiding and was prepared to face the consequences of his charges.

Silvia Reyna Mendoza, who has lived in the United States for 40 years and is a mother of 8, reported sexual misconduct by an ICE contractor. A judge issued an order prohibiting her deportation. ICE deported her the following day. She is currently in ICE detention in Kern County while her family pursues her case.

George Retes, a disabled American combat veteran, was detained for three days without access to a lawyer or ability to contact family during a massive immigration raid on a marijuana farm where he worked as a security guard. His family could not locate him until they recognized his car in a TikTok video from the scene; agents broke his car window, pepper sprayed him, and tackled him. Retes suffered injuries including a cut leg from broken glass and burns from lingering pepper spray. Despite DHS later claiming he was arrested for assault, he was released without charges and was never told why he was arrested. Retes missed his daughter's third birthday and told ProPublica that agents knew he was a citizen but did not care.

Leonardo Garcia Venegas, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen of Mexican descent working in construction, was detained twice by immigration agents in coastal Alabama. During the first incident, agents ignored white and Black co-workers while targeting Latino workers, then tackled his undocumented brother and grabbed Garcia Venegas after he began filming and stated he was a citizen. Agents dismissed his Alabama REAL ID as fake and held him handcuffed for over an hour; his brother was later deported. In a second detention at a construction site weeks later, agents again questioned his citizenship and dismissed his REAL ID despite him providing both it and his Social Security card. Garcia Venegas was never charged with any crime and filed a federal lawsuit alleging unlawful detention and civil rights violations.

A resident known as George, returning from the YMCA in a yellow Curious George costume to attend a Halloween parade with his two young daughters, was suddenly thrown to the ground by a Border Patrol agent during immigration enforcement operations in Old Irving Park. He was treated at urgent care for a mild traumatic brain injury and described head pain for days following the incident. He stated this was the most violent episode he had witnessed in his neighborhood.

Rev. James Eliud Ngahu Mwangi, an Episcopal priest originally from Kenya, was detained by ICE on October 25 despite having legal authorization to live and work in the United States and being employed as a Texas state employee. The Episcopal Diocese of Texas is calling for due process, transparency, and humane treatment for Mwangi, stating his family was unaware of his whereabouts for several days before locating him at an immigration detention center in Conroe.

Sarah Parise and her 2-year-old daughter Leia were exposed to tear gas deployed by Border Patrol agents during immigration enforcement operations in the Old Irving Park neighborhood on October 25. While walking near a grassy field, Parise and her daughter were struck by chemical agents without warning; Leia screamed in pain as Parise ran home and rinsed them with water and milk. A federal judge questioned the use of tear gas in the operation, which resulted in one arrest.

On October 25, 2025, a 67-year-old U.S. citizen was removed from his car and assaulted by Border Patrol agents during an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago's Old Irving Park neighborhood. The man sustained six broken ribs and internal bleeding during the incident. The enforcement operation occurred during a children's Halloween parade preparation, and tear gas was deployed near children in the area. Border Patrol agents had blocked off the street as part of their operation to apprehend an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. On October 10, 2025, Dayanne Figueroa, a U.S. citizen paralegal employed by WGN TV, was removed from her vehicle by masked Border Patrol agents on West Hubbard Street in Chicago following a traffic accident involving an unmarked government vehicle. Video footage documents armed federal agents dragging her from the car by her legs and pinning her to the ground without initially explaining the reason for the detention. Figueroa sustained injuries requiring hospital treatment. She was subsequently released without being charged. Accounts differ between Figueroa and DHS regarding who struck whom and her actions during the encounter.

A fifth-grade teacher at Global Village Academy in Parker, Colorado was detained by ICE agents along with her minor children and transferred to an ICE facility in Texas over the weekend. The school said the teacher was authorized to work with valid employment authorization through spring 2029, but ICE stated she entered the country illegally near Yuma, Arizona on December 2, 2022.

Arnoldo Bazan, a 16-year-old U.S. citizen, was beaten and choked by ICE agents on October 23, 2025, during a traffic stop near South Gessner Road and Beechnut Street in Houston while he was on his way to school. Unmarked federal agents without visible identification pulled over the vehicle carrying Arnoldo and his father, Arnulfo Bazan. When both father and son fled, agents chased them through a nearby restaurant-supply store, where they tackled, kicked, punched, and choked both of them. During the assault, agents subjected Arnoldo to racial slurs and confiscated his phone. Arnoldo was hospitalized with bruises and welts on his neck consistent with choking. He was released after identifying himself as a minor and U.S. citizen. His father was deported to Mexico following the incident. Months later, Arnoldo testified before Congress about his experience.

Marina Ortiz, a fifth-grade teacher at Global Village Academy in Douglas County, was detained by ICE on October 24 during a routine immigration appointment at an ICE field office in Centennial. Despite possessing valid legal work authorization documentation through spring 2029, Ortiz was classified as an "undocumented immigrant from Peru" and transferred to a detention facility in Texas. School officials confirmed her legitimate employment status.

A 16-year-old Ecuadorian student, Joel Camas, was arrested by ICE agents during a routine check-in appointment in Lower Manhattan on Thursday while attending Gotham Collaborative High School in the Bronx. Despite being granted Special Immigrant Juvenile Status in April—a legal protection designed for vulnerable minors—Camas was detained by immigration authorities.

Federal agents from ICE and U.S. Marshals Service raided a home in Gary, Indiana on October 23, 2025, taking an entire family into custody. The 26-year-old son reported being punched in the eye and choked during the arrest, while his parents—who lack legal immigration status—remain in custody. The two adult U.S. citizen children were released, but the family now faces four separate court cases and legal expenses.

Arnoldo Bazan, a 16-year-old U.S. citizen and sophomore football player at Alief Hastings High School, was detained for several hours on October 23 when ICE agents stopped a vehicle carrying him and his father, Arnulfo Bazan Carrillo. Bazan alleged he was beaten and choked by masked officers who did not identify themselves, but ICE denied the allegations and stated Bazan elbowed a federal agent in the face during the encounter. Bazan was released after ICE verified his U.S. citizenship.

Enrique Lozano, an ice cream vendor who has lived in Los Angeles for over 20 years, was detained by ICE agents on June 23, 2025, while working on Culver Boulevard. He was held for approximately four months before being released and granted a green card through his wife's sponsorship. Following his release, Lozano has returned home and resumed his business operations. The local community mobilized support for his family, raising nearly $76,000 through a GoFundMe campaign, while a local company donated a new cart to help him restart his ice cream business.

Joel Camas, a 16-year-old SIJS-approved student at Gotham Collaborative High School in the Bronx, was detained by ICE during a required check-in on October 23, 2025, despite having an approved pathway to permanent residency. A Bronx County Family Court judge had ruled in December 2024 that remaining in the U.S. was in his best interest after his father abandoned him. The City of New York filed a brief supporting his release, arguing his detention disrupts his education and citing his strong academic record. Camas remains in Office of Refugee Resettlement custody while his removal order is stayed.

A junior at Benito Juarez High School in Chicago was detained by federal agents on October 23, 2025, while on his way to school in the Little Village neighborhood. The student, who city leaders identified as a U.S. citizen, was zip-tied and taken into custody after federal agents conducted immigration enforcement operations at a shopping center at 26th and Whipple. He was released back to his family at approximately 3 p.m. that day. A second student was injured during the same operation but was not detained.

During federal immigration enforcement operations in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood on October 23, 2025, federal agents led by U.S. Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino detained at least five people, including two Benito Juarez Community Academy high school students and at least one U.S. citizen. A 16-year-old junior was detained and later released; video showed federal agents grabbing a teenage boy from a sidewalk and forcibly handcuffing him. When dozens of residents and protesters gathered near a discount mall at 27th and Whipple streets to oppose the enforcement action, federal agents wearing military-style camouflage and gas masks deployed tear gas and pepper spray into the crowd. Video evidence shows Bovino himself tossing a tear gas canister into the crowd after being told not to do so by Little Village Community Council President Baltazar Enriquez. A 24-year-old U.S. citizen woman protesting was also detained and placed in a van; her sister reported not hearing from her as of Thursday afternoon. Attorneys filed a federal complaint alleging agents violated a court order prohibiting riot control weapons without imminent threat and requiring prior warnings. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered Bovino to testify for five hours and appear in person for a status hearing.