Human Impact Project

Eight Venezuelan women with Temporary Protected Status were arrested, detained, and deported on March 15, 2025, despite a federal judge's order to halt deportations. They were flown to El Salvador instead of Venezuela as told, then immediately sent back to the United States. Three have since been deported to Venezuela, while five remain in U.S. detention centers where they report being beaten and mistreated.

A grand jury issued a 'no bill' in the March 2025 shooting death of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez by a Homeland Security Investigations agent at South Padre Island, Texas. DHS stated Martinez attempted to run over a federal agent, but a witness affidavit indicated the vehicle was moving slowly and the agent fired without warning. The shooting was not publicly disclosed until February 2026.

Andry Hernández Romero, a Venezuelan makeup artist, was detained in California for six months and deported to El Salvador in March 2025, where he was imprisoned for 125 days in a maximum-security facility. He was accused of gang affiliation based on tattoos. After legal challenges, he was released and returned to Venezuela in July 2025.

The Trump Administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 through a proclamation to deport Venezuelan migrants suspected of gang membership in Tren de Aragua. Yoderlyn Daviana Acosta Peña and Maikol Gabriel López Lizano, Venezuelan migrants living and working in Chicago, were arrested in February 2025 and deported to El Salvador in March 2025. An ICE officer physically assaulted Acosta Peña. Immigration officials used criteria including tattoos and personal associations to identify alleged gang members, acknowledging the connections were "weak or spurious."

Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent on South Padre Island, Texas on March 15, 2025. According to ICE's internal report, the agent fired at Martinez after he allegedly accelerated his vehicle and struck another HSI agent. The involvement of ICE was not publicly disclosed until nearly a year later when Newsweek reported details based on internal incident reports.

Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, a 41-year-old Afghan national who served with U.S. military forces, was arrested by ICE near his home in Richardson, Texas. He died less than 24 hours later at Parkland Hospital in Dallas after experiencing a medical emergency involving chest pain, shortness of breath, and severe tongue swelling while in custody. His family stated he was in the country legally with a pending immigration case, while ICE reported his parole had expired and cited prior arrests. The cause of death remained under investigation.

César Herrera Ferrer, a 24-year-old Venezuelan, was detained by ICE after his father-in-law, Óscar Antonio Castañeda, called immigration authorities during an escalating family conflict. The dispute began when Castañeda was confronted and expelled from the home, then returned to threaten Herrera with a firearm while he held his young daughter. After Castañeda was arrested but released within 72 hours, he allegedly used Herrera's immigration status as a tool of intimidation.

Three migrants died in two separate incidents in the Otay Mesa/Otay Mountain Wilderness area near San Diego on March 14, 2025, during a winter storm with near-freezing temperatures. In the first incident, Border Patrol agents found one deceased woman near Cuchama Truck Trail and rescued an adult female who had called for help. In the second incident occurring less than an hour later, agents discovered two deceased men and rescued a 16-year-old girl who was the daughter of one of the deceased men. All individuals who crossed the border became lost and experienced hypothermia symptoms in the severe weather conditions.

Curtis Wright, an Edmonton-born permanent resident of the United States, was detained by ICE in November 2024 after returning from a work trip to Mexico. He has spent four months in an ICE detention center in Texas facing deportation based on drug possession charges from when he was 17 years old. On March 13, 2025, a judge ordered his deportation, though his lawyer is pursuing an appeal and habeas corpus request.

ImmigrationDefenders reports that parents attempting to reunify with children in federal custody are being arrested and placed into deportation proceedings. The organization represents 12 children in Southern California whose parents were detained shortly after initiating the reunification process, leaving children stranded in shelters.

Neiyerver Adrian Leon Rengel, a 27-year-old Venezuelan national, was detained by ICE on March 13, 2025, in Irving, Texas, based on suspected gang affiliation determined by his tattoos. His case record disappeared from ICE's online tracking system two days later. Authorities told his girlfriend he was deported, but he has not been located in Venezuela or on any public list of deportees sent to El Salvador.

Curtis Wright, an Edmonton-born U.S. permanent resident of 30 years, was detained by ICE in November 2024 after being pulled aside at a port of entry returning from Mexico. ICE cited drug possession charges from when Wright was 17 as grounds for detention and deportation proceedings. On March 13, 2025, a judge ordered his deportation, though Wright's legal team plans to appeal and seek a habeas corpus ruling to challenge the legality of his detention.

A 14-year-old Brazilian girl with an expired visitor visa was detained by ICE agents on March 11 after being found in a car in Marlboro, Massachusetts. She was taken to Boston and then transported overnight to a detention facility in New York. A federal judge ordered her immediate return to Massachusetts on March 13, expressing concern about the detention and overnight transfer, and she was reunited with her U.S. citizen aunt.

Yolanda Perez-Magallón, a 50-year-old undocumented immigrant and caregiver for her 21-year-old daughter with cancer, was detained by ICE agents on February 24 as a collateral arrest during an immigration sweep targeting her son Jonathan. She was held for nearly two weeks before being released on a $1,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 10.

A Venezuelan couple were arrested by federal immigration agents and charged with misdemeanor unauthorized entry more than two years after crossing the southern U.S. border in October 2022. Despite having been granted Temporary Protected Status and pending asylum claims, they were arrested while returning home from work in Washington, D.C.

José Daniel Simancas Rodríguez, a 30-year-old Venezuelan, was one of 177 Venezuelans deported by the U.S. and transferred to the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for 15 days. He described the detention conditions as including isolation, minimal food, and being allowed to shower only twice, with guards present. Simancas was eventually deported to Honduras and then returned to Venezuela on February 20, 2025.

Alma Lopez Diaz accompanied her sons Jose and Josue to a routine ICE check-in appointment at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan in March 2025. Without prior warning, the brothers were detained and later deported to El Salvador despite having no criminal records and actively pursuing green cards through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. The deportation separated the brothers from their mother and 8-year-old nonverbal brother Mateo, a U.S. citizen.

Border Patrol agent Shane Millan pleaded guilty in federal court to telling multiple women to expose their breasts during virtual interviews as a condition for entering the United States. Millan admitted to sexually coercing at least four women during interviews in August 2023, falsely claiming the exposure was part of a legitimate search. He faces up to two years in prison and a $200,000 fine at his July 7 sentencing.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Elmer Flores on March 9 after he dropped off his pregnant wife and children at a Mecklenburg County health office for a nutrition program appointment. According to advocacy group Siembra NC, Flores had no criminal record and is being held at a detention facility in Georgia.

Exclusive audio was obtained from a prisoner at a detention facility operated by ICE.

A Venezuelan immigrant detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection near the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel attempted to take his life by hanging himself in early March 2025. CBP officers intervened and transported him to a hospital for evaluation before transferring him to ICE custody on March 15. The incident is part of a larger pattern where advocates report 213 immigrants were detained in Detroit between January and March 2025, with approximately 90% having accidentally taken the wrong lane onto the Ambassador Bridge or tunnel while attempting to return to the U.S.

A family of four—two parents and children ages 1 and 2—nearly died while attempting to cross from New York into Quebec in March 2025. Unprepared for winter conditions, the parents lost their shoes and hiked barefoot in snow while their young children had no cold-weather gear. After several hours in freezing conditions, the mother called 911, and the family was rescued by local firefighters and Canadian authorities. All four survived but were treated for severe hypothermia.

Gustavo Alfonso Garcia Olivares, a 24-year-old Venezuelan migrant, drowned in the Rio Grande near the U.S.-Mexico border and was buried in Eagle Pass, Texas. His parents in Venezuela watched the funeral service via livestream. The burial was the first funeral service organized by Border Vigil, a human rights organization, for a migrant who died crossing the border.

A father was detained by ICE on March 6th and is being held in Canyon County with a hearing scheduled for April 10th. His family is seeking $5,000 in financial assistance to cover mortgage, legal fees, groceries, and other expenses while he is in custody.

Jensy Machado, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE agents on March 5, 2025, while driving to work in Manassas. The agents were searching for another man with a deportation order who had provided Machado's home address. Machado was handcuffed and questioned about his immigration status before being released after showing his driver's license.

Issa Salma Baouna, a 49-year-old green-card holder from Niger, was denied reentry to the United States at John F. Kennedy International Airport on March 6 after CBP determined he was inadmissible due to a prior removal order from 2022. Baouna had been ordered removed following an arrest for assault and visa overstay, and was paroled back into the country multiple times in 2023. After voluntarily returning to Niger, he contracted malaria that led to kidney failure. His wife left the U.S. with their two children to reunite with him.

ICE agents detained an employee at a Minneapolis business owned by Nesta Rodriguez. Rodriguez spoke to Sky News about the incident.

Bryan David Tasiguano Leon, an Ecuadorian citizen and Latin Kings member, was arrested by NYPD on February 14 on suspicion of assault on a first responder. Despite an ICE detainer, NYC authorities released him. ICE agents arrested Leon on March 4 during enforcement operations in New York City. He remains in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings.

A man went to the Broadview ICE facility searching for his wife of five years after she was taken to another room during a court hearing and disappeared. He tracked her phone to the facility but the signal cut off, and police offered no assistance in locating her.

Quebec Vasquez, a DACA-protected mother of three U.S. citizen children, announced plans to self-deport to Mexico due to fears about rapidly changing immigration policies under the Trump administration. Despite being protected from deportation through DACA for 10 years, she cited uncertainty and fear about her family's future as reasons for considering leaving the United States.

Kamal Morales, a counselor at Community Healthcare Network South Bronx clinic, was detained on March 2 during a routine immigration appearance and subsequently deported to Venezuela after 12 years out of the country. He was held in detention centers across five different states before deportation. Community members in the South Bronx and Queens are rallying in support.

The Trump Administration has reopened family detention centers in Texas and is detaining immigrant families, including some who have been living in the United States for years. Legal advocates report that children in these facilities are experiencing hunger, sleep deprivation, and psychological distress. The government is potentially planning to detain thousands more at military bases like Fort Bliss.

Between March and April 2025, the Trump administration deported 238-252 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador's CECOT maximum-security prison using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Internal documents showed approximately 75% of deportees had no criminal records in the US. Detainees reported torture, beatings, sexual violence, and inhumane conditions including prolonged solitary confinement. After approximately four months, the Venezuelans were transferred to Venezuela as part of a prisoner exchange. The deportations have been challenged in court as unconstitutional and a violation of human rights law.

In March and April 2025, the US government deported 252 Venezuelans, including asylum seekers, to El Salvador's CECOT mega prison. Detainees reported torture, beatings, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and inhumane conditions. Roughly half of the detainees had no criminal history. The detainees were held for approximately four months before being transferred to Venezuela as part of a prisoner exchange. Human Rights Watch and Cristosal documented abuses by Salvadoran security forces. The Trump administration provided millions of dollars to El Salvador for these detentions.

Axel Gerardo Archaga Rios, 17, a Dunwoody High School junior, was arrested during a traffic stop in March for failing to stop at a stop sign and driving without a license. He was subsequently transferred to ICE custody under a final removal order issued in 2015. According to his attorney, Rios arrived in the U.S. at age 5 and his family missed key court dates due to a domestic violence situation.

A.G., a Venezuelan national with Temporary Protected Status and a pending asylum application, was detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop in Orange County while driving to work. Despite holding a valid driver's license, work permit, and Social Security card, he was handcuffed and held in ICE custody for several days. During detention, ICE repeatedly pressured him to self-deport. He was released on his own recognizance with assistance from Rep. Anna Eskamani and legal advocates.

Sergio Garcia, a Mexican chef, was deported by ICE in March 2025 after 36 years living in the United States. Garcia had no criminal record besides a two-decade-old deportation order for illegal re-entry from 1989. He was apprehended while loading his food truck. His deportation separated him from his four U.S.-born adult children and wife. After deportation, he was held captive in Mexico and faced violence in Chiapas.

Lewelyn Dixon, a 64-year-old green card holder and University of Washington lab technician, was detained by ICE on February 28, 2025, after returning from the Philippines, following discovery of a 2000 embezzlement conviction by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Dixon had lived legally in the United States for over 50 years and completed restitution on her conviction in 2019. She is currently held at the Northwest ICE Detention Facility and is not bond eligible, with her first hearing scheduled for July 17. Her family and supporters have called for her release.

ICE agents detained Francisco Andrade-Berrera, a 37-year-old Mexican citizen, outside Soto High School in Chicago's Gage Park neighborhood on Wednesday morning while he was dropping off children. Two students were in the vehicle at the time; school staff escorted them into the building. Andrade-Berrera had prior convictions and had been deported twice previously.

Nicolas Rodriguez was taken into custody by ICE agents this week. His family is desperate for answers about his detention and whereabouts.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Emine and Celal Emanet, owners of Jersey Kebab restaurant in Haddon Township, New Jersey on February 25, 2025. The couple, who came from Turkey nearly two decades ago on visas, had fallen out of legal status and were being detained by ICE. Celal Emanet was released with an ankle monitor, while his wife remains in ICE custody awaiting a bond hearing scheduled for mid-March.

Activists in Southern California distributed flyers revealing the names, photos, and personal information of ICE and HSI agents, with the flyers written in Spanish and posted in Los Angeles neighborhoods. Federal authorities, including the DHS and FBI, condemned the action and launched an investigation, warning that those responsible could face legal consequences for obstructing law enforcement operations.

Two separate incidents involving Guatemalan men occurred at ICE facilities in El Paso. A 33-year-old man was deported despite an immigration judge's order barring removal; a federal judge subsequently ordered his reinstatement and issued a decision criticizing ICE conduct. A 48-year-old man died in custody at Camp East Montana after months of detention, with medical staff attributing death to liver and kidney failure. Civil rights groups have alleged severe abuses at the facility, including beatings, sexual assault, medical neglect, and threats of illegal deportation to Mexico.

Federal agents pepper-sprayed and tackled 80-year-old defense attorney Doug Hayes during a confrontation in Santa Barbara on February 21st. Hayes had approached agents who were detaining a man in his 20s, concerned for the detainee's safety, and was sprayed when he tried to help. Hayes was not arrested or charged and has expressed interest in pursuing legal action against the agents.

Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, who had resided in the United States for 35 years, were arrested and deported to Colombia in February 2025 after being detained by ICE during a routine immigration court check-in in Santa Ana, California. The couple entered without authorization in 1989 and had a 2000 deportation order. They maintained clean criminal records and had complied with regular check-ins throughout their time in the country. They had three U.S. citizen daughters and were involved in church work and volunteering. They were held for three weeks before deportation.

Maksym Chernyak, a 44-year-old Ukrainian man, suffered a stroke at Krome North Service Processing Center on February 18, 2025. Staff delayed calling 911 for over 40 minutes. He died two days later from a brain hemorrhage. A month earlier, Genry Ruiz-Guillen, a 29-year-old Honduran man, died at the same facility; his autopsy listed "complications of schizoaffective disorder" as the cause. Medical experts who reviewed records for both cases questioned the adequacy of care provided and cited delayed emergency response and questionable medical treatment decisions.

A 21-year-old Venezuelan man, Mayfreed Durán-Arape, was sent to Guantánamo Bay as part of a Trump administration policy to relocate detained migrants to the military base. DHS claimed he was a gang member. A review found he had no criminal record beyond unauthorized entry. His mother disputes the administration's characterization of a detention center altercation that led to his conviction.

Dora Reynosa, an undocumented immigrant and former DACA recipient, self-deported to Mexico to live with family. She cited rising ICE activity and increased reports of violence against immigrants as factors in her decision, which she had been considering for years.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent, Andrew Josiah Segura, was charged with assault and evidence tampering following an incident on February 19, 2025, in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The charges allege he assaulted a handcuffed detainee and physically threatened CBP employees while performing official duties.

Undocumented day laborers in Los Angeles are preparing to help clear debris and rebuild homes after wildfires. ICE has conducted multiple raids across major U.S. cities and is planning large-scale enforcement operations. Workers like Luis and Jonathan are volunteering to help their communities rebuild while facing potential deportation.