Human Impact Project

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

Jonathan, Joani, and their 2.5-year-old son Kaleth, asylum seekers from Peru, were detained by ICE officers in March 2026 after arriving at a scheduled immigration appointment in Thousand Oaks. The family was separated across state lines: Joani and Kaleth were sent to Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas for two weeks, while Jonathan was sent to Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California for over a month. During detention, Jonathan reported delays in medical care, mistreatment including food being thrown at detainees, and being placed in a cold room as alleged punishment for calling his lawyer. Joani reported the facility conditions were poor, with inedible food, non-drinkable water, constant lighting preventing sleep, and her young son becoming ill and refusing to eat. The family was eventually released through legal intervention and community support.

Seamus Culleton, an Irish national who entered the U.S. in 2009 on a visa waiver and overstayed, was arrested by ICE agents at a hardware store in Boston on September 9, 2025, during a random immigration sweep. Despite holding a valid work permit tied to a pending green card application and being married to a U.S. citizen, Culleton was detained in ICE facilities across Massachusetts, New York, and Texas for six months. A judge approved his release on bond in November 2025, but authorities continued to detain him after ICE agents claimed he had signed deportation documents—a claim Culleton and his attorney dispute, citing irregularities in the documentation. In March 2026, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge paused his deportation pending resolution of his petition for review. Throughout his detention, Culleton's wife Tiffany Smith and his lawyer reported he was held in overcrowded conditions with inadequate food and sanitation, and that he lost significant weight.

Ky Sengdara, a Laotian refugee who arrived in the U.S. in 1981 with a green card, was detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma after ICE requested a check-in. He faced a decades-old deportation order stemming from a 1999 drug conviction. For over 20 years, Laos had refused to accept deportees, but under Trump administration pressure, Laos began accepting deportations. Sengdara's lawyers discovered he was not informed of immigration consequences at his guilty plea, leading to conviction overturn and restoration of his green card status. An immigration judge terminated the deportation case, and Sengdara was released after months in custody.

Mitch Lillie, a VC Defensa volunteer, had his phone seized by Customs and Border Protection agents at Los Angeles airport in March 2026 without a warrant. This was part of a broader pattern of federal targeting that began in May 2025, when Lillie received over 80 calls from unknown and blocked numbers with callers telling him to stop participating in ICE-watch patrols. Lillie alleges the incidents represent government repression of activist organizing.

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

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

Maykel and his five cousins were detained in shelter facilities for four months after trekking hundreds of miles to reunite with their mother Maria. Under Trump administration rules, the children remained in detention despite their parent being available to care for them. Families across New York and the country are using habeas corpus petitions as a legal tool to challenge prolonged detentions of unaccompanied minors.

Dr. Rubeliz Bolívar Barrios was released on bail after a judge ordered her release following over a month of detention at El Valle Detention Center. The 33-year-old physician, who held a valid work permit through 2030 and was working as a medical resident, was arrested at McAllen International Airport in April 2026 despite presenting valid documentation. Her legal team will continue to appeal the visa violation allegations that led to her detention. Her 5-year-old daughter, a U.S. citizen, was released after nearly 19 hours in custody.

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

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

Bryam Escobar Martinez was detained by ICE while on his way to work in Minnesota on the same day federal officials announced ramped up enforcement operations in the Twin Cities. His wife Estefany Escobar and their family are affected by his detention. ICE agents arrested a 22-year-old man on March 1 while he was on his way to work in Hopkins, Minnesota. Agents surrounded his car, broke the windows, and forcibly detained him. He was transported hundreds of miles away to Georgia, leaving his wife alone with their 4-year-old twin sons, one of whom has asthma and convulsions requiring a nebulizer.

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

Gumersindo Jimenez-Silva, who entered the United States in 2004 and worked as a plumber supporting his family, was detained on February 28, 2026, during a traffic stop while on his way to work. He has no criminal record and has three U.S. citizen children. The court ordered his immediate release from custody under reasonable conditions, finding his detention without a bond hearing violated his due process rights.

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

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

Juan Diego Lopez Macias, a 19-year-old Enid High School senior, was arrested during a traffic stop for speeding on February 28, 2026, and subsequently transferred to ICE custody after being charged with driving without a valid license. He was transferred to the Bluebonnet Detention Facility in Anson, Texas, where he awaits immigration court proceedings. Student walkouts and protests occurred across Oklahoma following his detention, with classmates and family members gathering at the state Capitol on March 16.

Edson Gregorio Zelada La Cerna was re-detained by immigration authorities on February 27, 2026, after previously being released on bond or conditional parole. The court found that his re-detention violated due process because the government failed to provide a pre-deprivation bond hearing before a neutral arbiter. The court ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to detention. Ivan Fabricio Chaj Gonzales was re-detained on March 1, 2026, after previously being released on bond or conditional parole. The court found that the government violated due process by re-detaining him without providing a pre-deprivation bond hearing before a neutral arbiter. The court ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to detention.

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

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

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

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents reportedly detained two people in Lawrence on February 27, including near the University of Kansas campus. Approximately 80 protesters gathered outside Strong Hall. The university stated it was still gathering information about whether any KU students or employees were involved.

Four volunteers were detained and cited by Federal Protective Service officers at the San Diego federal building after an overnight rule change prohibited standing in hallways. The volunteers, who had been documenting ICE arrests and supporting immigrants at court hearings for months, were cited for failure to comply with official signs and directions, each receiving a $284 fine. Faith volunteers attempting to support immigrants in the building were also confronted by officers.

Willy Wender Aceituno, a naturalized U.S. citizen who has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for over 25 years, was arrested by ICE and DHS agents in November 2025 without a warrant. According to his account, agents smashed his truck window, forcibly removed him from the vehicle, and left him injured and bloodied despite his repeated assertions that he was a U.S. citizen and requests that they check his identification. He was handcuffed and detained but ultimately released without charges. In February 2026, Aceituno filed a $1.25 million lawsuit against federal immigration authorities alleging violations of constitutional amendments and claims of assault, battery, false imprisonment, and negligent supervision. Aceituno is the lead plaintiff in a federal class-action lawsuit alleging that ICE and CBP agents made warrantless arrests without probable cause across North Carolina.

Volunteers observing immigrants at scheduled ICE appointments at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego have been cited for loitering by Federal Protective Service officers. Since late February 2026, volunteers have been prohibited from monitoring hallways and the check-in area, with signs posted citing federal regulations against obstructing access to federal property. Volunteers stated they were documenting apprehensions and providing support to immigrants with court hearings, and plan to contest the citations.

Ahmed, a nursing student and certified nursing assistant with legal status and a work permit, was detained by ICE while attending a routine immigration check-in. He immigrated to the United States around 2023 from Dadaab refugee camps. Project Relief is raising funds for legal representation to secure his release and prevent his transfer to another state.

Dayton Andre Lindsay, a Jamaican green-card holder who has legally resided in the United States for over 28 years, was detained by ICE on February 27 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport upon returning from vacation in Jamaica. Lindsay is married to Benji Lindsay and has a blended family of five children and seven grandchildren. Before his arrest, he worked as an employee at a Walmart Distribution Center in Joliet, Illinois, and as a chef at several local restaurants. A judge's ruling noted that while his individual prior offenses were "not particularly serious," together they displayed a "habitual disregard for the law." He remains in ICE custody at Hopkins County Jail in Kentucky and his attorneys filed a federal habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of his detention.

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.

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

ICE officers pepper sprayed approximately two dozen detainees at a Mesa Gateway Airport holding facility on February 27, 2026. A 911 call made at 2:13 a.m. reported that one detainee appeared to be having a seizure following the incident, and one man was hospitalized with an asthma episode. The facility was significantly overcrowded, holding 332 people despite a maximum capacity of 203.

Nearly a dozen 911 calls placed from the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas since September document medical emergencies involving children in the facility, including infants and young children experiencing respiratory distress, fever, seizures, and other serious conditions. EMS crews were dispatched to the facility at least 11 times, with some children transferred to specialized pediatric hospitals in San Antonio, while Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro has called for the closure of the detention center.

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

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

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents conducted an immigration enforcement operation on Wednesday morning, detaining approximately a dozen workers traveling to Backyard Farms greenhouses in Madison. This was the second enforcement operation at the facility in recent weeks; a similar operation on February 10 detained 17 workers from the same agricultural employer. A judge ordered the release of one detainee from the February 10 operation, a Venezuelan man who had entered as an unaccompanied child, and two other Venezuelan men withdrew habeas petitions shortly after filing them. The fate of most detainees from both operations remains unclear. Advocates and attorneys have characterized the operations as planned and representing an escalation in enforcement tactics.

Sukhbir Singh Goraya, an Indian citizen who entered the US in June 2023 and was released on conditional parole, was re-detained by ICE in February 2026 despite having obtained required permission for a work trip as a commercial truck driver. He had complied with all ICE check-in requirements and had pending asylum proceedings. The federal court ordered his immediate release, finding his detention violated due process.

An ICE enforcement operation in Newark, New Jersey resulted in a multi-vehicle crash on February 25-26, 2026. ICE agents attempted to pull over a van during an arrest operation, prompting the driver to flee. The pursuit resulted in a crash involving multiple vehicles, including one carrying three children who were injured. The van driver was also injured during the chase. Mayor Ras Baraka criticized ICE's actions as reckless and dangerous, stating the operation violated New Jersey state law prohibiting law enforcement vehicle pursuits in densely populated areas without an immediate threat to public safety. ICE agents conducted a raid near a bus stop where fourth and fifth grade students were waiting for their school bus early Thursday morning. Armed and masked agents were present as children ran, with some students reporting that agents followed them home. Ring camera footage captured video of the incident.

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

Álvaro Salguero was detained by ICE on February 26 despite having no criminal record and an ongoing immigration process. He is a father of two young children, including a newborn. His wife Karen is now solely responsible for legal fees, rent, utilities, and household expenses.

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

A father was detained by ICE on February 26, 2026, while picking up his children from school near Escondido Library. His family launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal fees and basic living expenses, as he was the primary wage earner and the family has fallen three months behind on rent.

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.

Joytu Chowdhury, a 24-year-old former student at Illinois Wesleyan University from Bangladesh, was arrested by ICE in December 2025 after his F-1 student visa status lapsed due to transfer-related administrative issues. After months in immigration detention across multiple facilities in Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana, Chowdhury alleged inhumane conditions including inadequate medical care and severe mental stress; DHS disputed these claims. He self-deported and returned to Bangladesh in February 2026, leaving behind his U.S. citizen wife. Chowdhury stated that detention conditions forced him to abandon his legal fight and accept voluntary departure.

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.

Luis Duque was driving his boyfriend Oscar to work in Charlotte when ICE agents stopped their vehicle during a traffic stop. The agents detained Oscar, who is in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen, without presenting a warrant. Oscar was taken to Stewart Detention Center in Georgia and given the option to self-deport to Mexico or wait months for a court hearing.

Bradley County constables working under ICE authority participated in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in the Heritage Walk neighborhood of East Brainerd on Tuesday morning that resulted in multiple arrests. The operation targeted construction workers, with at least eight workers detained according to immigrant rights organizations. Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett stated his office was not involved in the operation, which was conducted by ICE task force members including Bradley County constables operating outside their county.

Documents obtained by activists reveal that U.S. Border Patrol used the Escondido Police Department's gun range for training at least seven times between February and June 2018, paying $300 per use. The discovery came as the city was scheduled to meet to discuss an ongoing contract between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Escondido police.

Emmanuel Sackie, a Liberian-born naturalized U.S. citizen, was violently detained by ICE in a Family Dollar parking lot in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, despite possessing a driver's license and photo ID. He was taken to an unknown location and subsequently sent to the hospital. Sackie stated this was his first time in handcuffs and expressed that he was treated unfairly based on his race.

Two Iranian Christian converts have been detained by ICE since December during a routine immigration check-in, despite being vetted at the border, receiving work authorization, and actively volunteering at a Houston church. One man had evangelized to Muslims in Iran, an offense carrying the death penalty under Iranian law. An immigration judge found one man removable in November, and the men now face deportation to Iran amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Their church and legal supporters are working to secure qualified representation for their asylum cases.

ICE agents arrested 27-year-old Jack Randmaa on suspicion of vandalism after his tire was allegedly slashed on Carrillo Street in Santa Barbara on February 21, 2026. During the arrest near the Santa Barbara County Probation Office, an ICE agent pepper-sprayed and threw 80-year-old criminal defense attorney Doug Hayes to the ground as he attempted to retrieve Randmaa's backpack and cellphone. Hayes, who verbally confronted the agents during the detention, stated he would pursue criminal and civil rights lawsuits against the federal agents, claiming they interfered with his ability to speak freely and violated his client's rights. Bystanders recorded the encounter. ICE agents conducted an enforcement operation in downtown Santa Barbara on February 19, 2026, involving the detention of a man accused of vandalizing a federal vehicle. During the arrest, ICE agents placed the suspect in a headlock. When defense attorney Doug Hayes and other bystanders intervened, agents pepper-sprayed Hayes and at least one other person. The incident occurred outside the Santa Barbara County Probation Office on Carrillo Street, with crowds gathering to record and protest the enforcement activity.