Human Impact Project

Marcus, a 52-year-old former archivist from Cameroon, and his 14-year-old daughter Élodie were detained during an ICE enforcement action at their apartment in Minneapolis on April 1, 2026. ICE cited a typographical error in Marcus's A-number in his temporary work authorization as justification for the detention. During the enforcement action, ICE mistakenly seized Élodie's architectural drawings, classifying them as "surveillance imagery." Both remain in detention and have been unable to contact a journalist documenting crimes related to art trafficking, which is central to their asylum case. A GoFundMe campaign was initiated to support their case.

Rafael Concepcion, a Syracuse University professor, developed DEICER, a crowdsourced mapping app that alerts users to ICE activity and agent locations. After the app gained 30,000 users, the Department of Justice pressured Apple to remove it from the App Store in October 2025. Concepcion lost his university job and received death threats but continued developing modified versions of the tool.

Nine clergy members and one immigration activist were arrested on Monday morning while blocking the ICE headquarters garage in Center City Philadelphia as part of a "Week of Action Against ICE and Collaborators." Homeland Security officers forcibly removed the protesters from the garage doors and took them into custody around 9:45 a.m. All were charged with obstructing access to the garage under federal security infrastructure rules and issued violation notices requiring $530 in penalties or a federal court appearance.

A 17-year-old attending a protest against ICE was detained and beaten repeatedly with a baton by officers, resulting in a broken femur that required emergency surgery. According to witnesses, the beating occurred while the minor was already surrounded by officers and detained. He is reportedly being denied visitors while hospitalized.

On March 22, 2026, ICE agents in plainclothes detained Angelina Lopez-Jimenez, 41, a Guatemalan national, and her 9-year-old daughter at San Francisco International Airport after TSA alerted ICE to their presence on a passenger list. Lopez-Jimenez was handcuffed and placed in a wheelchair at Terminal 3 after resisting the agents. She had a final removal order issued by an immigration judge in 2019. Both mother and daughter were transferred to Texas and deported to Guatemala within approximately 36 hours. The detention prompted Democratic lawmakers to condemn the action and community groups to protest, with some alleging San Francisco police illegally assisted ICE in violation of the city's sanctuary policies.

On March 29, 2026, police arrested multiple protesters during a demonstration at the Portland ICE building in Portland. Isiah A. Lee, 26, climbed onto the lower roof of the facility and vandalized it, resulting in charges of first-degree criminal mischief and second-degree criminal trespass. Isaias Laguna, 21, was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal mischief, second-degree disorderly conduct, and second-degree criminal trespass. Robert Stoms, 37, was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal mischief. Lee was taken to Multnomah County Detention Center.

About 1,400 people gathered at the federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas for the No Kings protest against immigration enforcement on March 29, 2026. Six people were arrested by Metro police on various charges including refusing to remove a prohibited item, throwing rocks, battery against protesters, and pedestrian in roadway violations. Additional demonstrations took place in North Las Vegas and Henderson.

On March 27, 2026, 25-year-old Jhonathan Cosme Antonio of Carpinteria encountered ICE agents attempting to apprehend him. After fleeing on foot, he jumped the perimeter fence of Santa Barbara County Main Jail to evade them. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries from the fence jump and was discovered hiding between storage containers. He was transported to a hospital for treatment and issued a citation for trespassing by Santa Barbara County deputies.

On March 28, 2026, a charter deportation flight carrying several dozen Russian citizens departed from Alexandria, Louisiana, and arrived in Moscow on March 29 via Newark and Cairo. The deportees were gathered from five or six immigration detention centers across the United States. Human rights advocates reported harsh transfer conditions including shackles and extended periods without seating. Some deportees faced FSB questioning upon arrival, and human rights organizations noted concerns about potential Kremlin reprisals against returnees, including those who had opposed the invasion of Ukraine.

Two people were arrested during a "No Kings" protest at Riverfront Park near an ICE facility in downtown Spokane. An 18-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly taking a Trump flag from a counterprotester, and a 32-year-old man was arrested for assaulting an officer who was attempting to detain the woman. The incident lasted approximately five minutes and involved a brief physical altercation between police and protesters.

Charles Wongso, an Indonesian national and longtime Philadelphia resident, was detained by ICE on December 11, 2025, while leaving for work. He was initially held at Philadelphia Federal Detention Center before being transferred to Moshannon ICE detention facility. His adult children, Jacqueline and Johnson, have been fighting to have his case reopened through proper legal channels, arguing ICE is attempting to proceed with deportation without following due process for the motion to reopen. As of March 27, 2026, his stay of removal was denied. The family is filing a Mandamus Injunction to stop the deportation and prevent a 10-year reentry ban, and has sought community support for the case.

A 25-year-old man scaled a fence at Santa Barbara County jail to escape ICE agents attempting to apprehend him on March 27. He was injured during the fence jump and found hiding between storage containers in the secured perimeter. He was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and cited for trespassing.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Scrappys Auto Salvage in Rockledge on March 26, 2026, following a quiet investigation that began in September 2025 into vehicle documentation violations. Theodore Gross was arrested on over 5,000 charges including failure to obtain certificates of destruction, motor vehicle regulation violations, grand theft, fraud, operating a chop shop, and racketeering, and is being held without bond. The operation resulted in the recovery of 19 stolen vehicles and seizure of tow trucks. Investigators also detained 13 undocumented immigrants from Afghanistan, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala during the raid, which drew immigration rights activists to the scene and raised concerns about local law enforcement collaboration with federal immigration agencies.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested an undocumented immigrant on March 26, 2026, while he was being driven by his attorney to a court appearance in Bellefonte. The man, described as a father of two who had lived in the community for nearly two decades, was pulled over on East College Avenue by five ICE agents in unmarked vehicles. State College Police confirmed they had no prior knowledge of the operation and did not participate. The arrest marked at least the second ICE detention of an individual en route to a Centre County court proceeding within a month.

Deiver Henao Jimenez, a 9-year-old asylum-seeker from Colombia, was detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas with his parents beginning in early March after a routine immigration check-in. Community activists launched advocacy efforts calling for his release so he could return to school and compete in his state spelling bee. After pleading during a video call with children's entertainer Ms. Rachel, ICE released the family on humanitarian parole in late March, allowing Deiver to attend the competition.

On March 25, 2026, ICE agents conducted a targeted vehicle stop to arrest Xa Lee, an undocumented individual from Laos with prior criminal convictions. During the stop, Lee attempted to flee and struck an ICE officer with his vehicle. The officer was not injured. Lee fled the scene and remained at large at the time of the announcement. Xa Lee, a Laotian citizen with a criminal history and a 2010 deportation order, attempted to strike an ICE officer with his vehicle during a traffic stop in Sacramento on March 25. Lee fled the scene and remains at large. The ICE officer was not injured during the incident.

Several Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota reported being targeted and harassed by ICE agents during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. State Rep. Brad Tabke said agents ran his license plate, photographed his home, and conducted surveillance outside his residence multiple times in January and February. Other DFL lawmakers reported similar incidents including verbal harassment, agents greeting them by name without prior interaction, and agents taking photographs around their homes.

Arnoldo Bazan, a 16-year-old U.S. citizen and sophomore at Houston Alief Hastings High School, was detained and assaulted by masked federal immigration agents on October 23, 2025, when they stopped his father, Arnulfo Bazan Carillo, during a drive to school near Gessner Road and Beechnut Street in Houston. According to Arnoldo's account, agents beat him, applied a choke hold around his neck, and subjected him to racial slurs despite his statements that he was a minor and U.S. citizen. Bystanders recorded video showing officers restraining a young man with an arm around his neck. Arnoldo was held for several hours before ICE verified his U.S. citizenship and released him. His father, Arnulfo, who was in the country without authorization, was arrested and subsequently deported to Mexico. ICE disputed the assault allegations, claiming Arnoldo elbowed a federal agent during the encounter and that Arnulfo rammed a federal vehicle and fled; ICE noted Arnulfo had prior unauthorized entries and a misdemeanor DWI conviction. Arnoldo has spoken publicly, including on Capitol Hill, about the incident.

Ya'akub Ira Vijandre, a Filipino DACA recipient and community activist, was detained by ICE at his Arlington home in October 2025. The federal government is seeking to terminate his DACA protection, citing his social media activity and posts about Palestine activism. On March 24, 2026, community members and supporters spoke before Arlington City Council requesting a resolution calling for his release, citing constitutional concerns and detention conditions at Folkston Detention Center in Georgia.

On March 11, 2026, ICE agents conducted a raid in South Burlington, Vermont, after a vehicle stop on Dorset Street. Court filings later revealed that agents misidentified and arrested Cristian Jerez-Andrade, a Honduran man, after chasing him into a home—they had been seeking Mexican national Deyvi Daniel Corona-Sanchez, who was not present. Hundreds of community members and activists, alerted by Migrant Justice, rapidly assembled at the scene and formed a human barrier to prevent ICE from entering the house and detaining residents. As the standoff continued into the evening, heavily armed ICE agents and Vermont State Police officers in tactical gear forcibly pushed through the crowd, deploying flash-bang devices and shooting pepper balls at protesters. At least one protester was injured and taken away by ambulance, several were arrested, and many others suffered pepper spray exposure.

An activist Instagram post calls for the release of Ender Cardenas Chacon and other people granted asylum from Karnes ICE detention center. The post urges followers to contact the Department of Homeland Security and Congress to demand their release.

Estefany Rodríguez Flórez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias covering Spanish-language news, was arrested by ICE agents on March 4, 2026, during a traffic stop in South Nashville while her husband was dropping off their daughter at a bus stop. A Colombian citizen who entered the U.S. legally on a tourist visa in 2021, Rodríguez had fled Colombia after receiving threats for reporting on militant groups and was awaiting asylum approval. She also had pending green card applications through marriage to a U.S. citizen. ICE cited her as a flight risk for missing two meetings, though her attorney stated ICE could not locate any record of a scheduled appointment despite multiple inquiries. During her 16-day detention across facilities in Alabama and Louisiana, she reported difficult conditions including forced chemical washing, isolation, and limited access to legal assistance. An immigration judge granted her release on bond on March 16, 2026, and she was released on March 20 after a $10,000 bond was paid. Her legal team filed federal court petitions challenging the arrest as warrantless and alleging violations of her First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights, including allegations of retaliation for her critical reporting on ICE enforcement activities.

Three people were detained during an ICE raid on a South Burlington home on March 11, 2026. The detainees were Daysi Camila Patin Patin, 20, from Ecuador; her sister Jisella Johana Patin Patin; and Cristian Humberto Jerez Andrade. None of the three were named in the warrant that authorized the raid. Following federal court hearings, all three were ordered released by a judge, with Daysi Camila Patin Patin's release ordered on March 20, 2026.

A federal jury returned a mixed verdict against nine defendants accused of domestic terrorism stemming from a July 4 noise demonstration outside the Prairieland immigrant detention center in Alvarado, Texas. Prosecutors argued the defendants constituted a "North Texas Antifa cell" and all played a role in a nonfatal shooting of a police officer during the protest. The defendants stated the protest was intended to show solidarity with migrants in detention and involved fireworks and vandalism. Eight defendants were convicted on felony charges including providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to use explosives.

Approximately 400-500 people protested in Salt Lake City against a Department of Homeland Security warehouse purchase intended for conversion into an ICE detention facility. During the protest on March 19, 2026, a smaller group vandalized the building by spray-painting and throwing rocks at windows, causing approximately $3,000 in damage. Three people were arrested: Chase Taylor Fredrickson, age 18, and two minors. They faced charges including rioting, property damage, and unlawful assembly, with some charges at the third-degree felony level. The majority of protesters remained peaceful.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed an amicus brief in a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and ICE regarding conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, which holds approximately 1,800 people. The brief documented inadequate medical care, unsafe conditions, insufficient staffing, contaminated water, spoiled food, lack of clean clothing, and reports of pepper spray use on detainees. Three men died at the facility between September 2025 and February 2026. Detainees also reported limited access to phones for legal calls and failure to accommodate people with disabilities. ICE denied the allegations, stating detainees receive proper meals, water, and medical treatment.

The Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California's Mojave Desert has faced documented concerns about detention conditions and practices. An investigation revealed detainees experiencing inadequate medical care, insufficient food and water, mold, staph infections, and prolonged detention, with some held for nearly three years despite having permanent residency status or no criminal convictions. Immigrant rights groups have filed a lawsuit against ICE and the Department of Homeland Security seeking to end conditions described as unsanitary, with more than a dozen detainees hospitalized and two local fathers dying following detention at the facility.

Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian woman from Paterson, New Jersey, was detained by ICE in March 2025 after attending a voluntary check-in at the Newark ICE office. She had participated in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University in April 2024, though those charges were dismissed the next day. At the time of her ICE detention, Kordia had a pending green card application through her U.S. citizen mother and a pending asylum application. She was held at Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas for over one year. In February 2026, while detained, Kordia suffered a seizure and was hospitalized but remained shackled to her hospital bed and was prevented from contacting family or attorneys. She experienced additional health complications including dizziness, fainting episodes, and significant weight loss, along with reports of overcrowded conditions and inadequate food at the facility. On March 16, 2026, an immigration judge ordered her release on a $100,000 bond, citing minimal flight risk and serious medical concerns. The government did not appeal the decision. Her attorneys contend she was targeted for her pro-Palestine advocacy.

On March 14, 2026, Gerardo Gonzalez Reyes, 44, and his 17-year-old son Esteban were arrested during a traffic stop in San Marcos after police responded to a false report. Police confirmed no crime had occurred. Esteban was released, but ICE placed a detainer on Gonzalez Reyes based on prior DWI convictions from 2004 and 2005 and transferred him to T. Don Hutto Detention Center. Despite over two months of community advocacy, vigils, and petitions to drop criminal charges by his family—including U.S. citizen children and a disabled wife who depends on him as a caretaker—an immigration judge ordered his deportation to Mexico in May 2026. His family plans to appeal.

A woman protesting immigration enforcement operations outside a federal detention facility in downtown Los Angeles was struck by a vehicle on March 14, 2026, as it exited the compound. The vehicle, driven by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, made contact with the protester twice before she landed on the hood and was thrown to the curb. The protester sustained minor injuries and was evaluated at a hospital. The Department of Homeland Security stated the officer was attempting to exit after being surrounded by demonstrators, while the protester said she did not intentionally step into the vehicle's path.

A whistleblower at the Baltimore ICE detention facility alleged severe conditions including use of a restraint chair and unsanitary environments. A video documented overcrowding in January 2026, prompting Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen to raise concerns. ICE transferred approximately 100 detainees from the facility to Arizona on March 12, 2026, the day before a congressional oversight visit. A federal judge subsequently ruled in March 2026 that ICE must limit capacity at the downtown Baltimore holding facility to 56 people across five cells, citing health and safety risks. The court ordered ICE to conduct medical screenings within 12 hours of arrival, clean cells daily, and ensure access to hygiene supplies and medication within 24 hours.

The Gámez-Cuéllar family—parents Luis Antonio Gámez Martínez and Emma Guadalupe Cuéllar López, and their three sons Antonio (18), Caleb (12), and Joshua (14)—were detained by ICE on February 25, 2026, during a routine immigration check-in in Edinburg, Texas. The family had legally entered the U.S. in May 2023 through the CBP One asylum app and were in active asylum proceedings with a final hearing scheduled for September. Antonio was separated from his family and shackled during transport to an adult detention facility in Raymondville, while his younger brothers and parents were held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley. Two of the brothers are award-winning mariachi musicians with McAllen High School's Mariachi Oro band, which has performed at the White House and Carnegie Hall and won eight state championships. After approximately 13 days in detention, bipartisan congressional pressure from lawmakers including Rep. Monica De La Cruz and Rep. Joaquin Castro, combined with a successful parole request by their attorneys, resulted in the family's release on February 28, 2026. The parents were required to wear ankle monitors and restrict travel to 75 miles from their home.

A pregnant woman reported being shot in the stomach with a rubber bullet by a federal agent while observing an anti-ICE protest in downtown Los Angeles on a Saturday night.

On March 11, ICE conducted an enforcement operation in South Burlington to detain a man who had re-entered the country. Burlington police provided mutual aid assistance with crowd management, resulting in clashes with protesters, use of chemical agents and flash bangs, and six arrests. Three protesters arrested by Vermont State Police will not face charges after review of body camera footage.

The Burlington Police Department was cleared of policy violations by the city attorney on June 5, 2026, regarding its response to an ICE operation on March 11 in South Burlington. Over 100 citizen complaints were filed after three individuals were detained during the incident, though none matched the warrant's target. The Police Commission disputed the city attorney's findings, arguing the department's actions constituted support for an unlawful federal enforcement operation.

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction halting construction of a planned ICE detention facility in Washington County, Maryland, finding the federal government improperly used a categorical exclusion from environmental review requirements. The judge upheld Maryland's arguments that the facility could overwhelm local water and sewer infrastructure and harm waterways and protected species like the green floater mussel. Interior repairs including HVAC and drywall work may proceed, while a decision on the proposed security fence is pending.

Leonardo Espartaco Martinez, a U.S. citizen and community watcher with VC Defensa in Ventura County, was violently detained by ICE agents on March 10 after responding to aid a fellow community member who had been pepper-sprayed. Video footage shows ICE agents in three vehicles ramming Martinez's minivan as he attempted to reverse away from the scene. When agents broke his window and dragged him out, he sustained injuries to his knees, shoulders, and wrists. At Los Robles Regional Medical Center, hospital staff and federal contractors kept Martinez handcuffed to his bed for 45 minutes while his lawyers attempted to determine if he was in custody or what charges he faced. No warrant or identification was provided. This is the third time ICE agents have rammed Martinez's vehicle; a previous incident on October 16, 2025, in Oxnard also resulted in his detention and transfer to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.

Elvira Benitez, a Mexican-born woman who has lived in the U.S. for 36 years without legal trouble, was detained by ICE on March 10 during a routine check-in at the ICE office. An immigration judge found her a good candidate for permanent residency and she was released in December. The federal government appealed her case on the final day allowed, and she was re-detained and transported to Kentucky. Her family and local activists held a press conference regarding her case, with her attorney arguing the law does not require her detention.

A federal judge in Oregon has restricted federal officers from using tear gas at protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland. The ruling limits law enforcement's use of force against demonstrators at the ICE facility.

Joseph Andrey Londono Rodriguez, a 6-year-old deaf student at the California School for the Deaf, was detained by ICE agents on March 3, 2026, during what his mother believed was a routine photo renewal appointment at an ICE office in the San Francisco Bay Area. His mother, Lesly Rodriguez Gutierrez, an asylum seeker from Colombia who had been in the country for four years and was under a supervision order, was detained along with Joseph's 5-year-old brother. The family was deported to Colombia within days without access to hearing aids, cochlear implants, legal representation, or accurate information about their location. State officials alleged ICE misrepresented the family's location to obstruct legal intervention. California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and congressional members requested an investigation and humanitarian parole to return the family, citing violations of due process protections.

Karla Saenz, a 26-year-old Venezuelan transgender organizer with Trans Queer Pueblo, was detained by ICE on March 9, 2026, during what she believed was a routine immigration check-in in Phoenix. According to an eyewitness account, ICE agents took her to a back room, claimed she had an arrest warrant without providing documentation, and handcuffed her. Saenz was transferred to Eloy Detention Center, located approximately 60 miles southeast of Phoenix, where she was initially placed in the men's unit despite being a trans woman. She contracted COVID-19 during her first two days in custody. Saenz had been a vocal advocate for Arbella "Yari" Marquez, a lesbian detainee at the same facility who was suffering from serious health complications including returning leukemia. Advocates believe Saenz's detention was retaliatory for her visible organizing work against immigration enforcement in Arizona, noting that she had consistently complied with all supervision requirements prior to her detention.

Arnoldo Jose Marquez-Pulido, 33, was arrested on March 4, 2026, outside a Sam's Club in Utica after resisting federal agents conducting surveillance based on reports of undocumented immigrants working as delivery drivers. During the altercation, Marquez-Pulido grabbed a Homeland Security agent's firearm and injured two investigators before being tackled. He faces federal charges of assaulting and resisting an officer and illegal firearm possession, with a potential sentence of up to 20 years if convicted.

Two bounty hunters, Garrett C. Willis and James R. Willis, were charged with felony threats of violence after confrontations with anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis on March 3. During two incidents—one in the Phillips West neighborhood and another outside Hennepin County jail—the men pointed replica firearms at protesters and fired pepper ball munitions. Both men admitted to carrying weapons that resembled real firearms and using them against protesters.

On January 7, 2026, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renée Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, queer mother of three, and writer, in Minneapolis during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation called Operation Metro Surge. Good was in her vehicle when ICE agents approached; as she drove away, Ross fired shots through the windshield, striking her multiple times. Bystander and cell phone footage contradicted federal claims that Good had used her vehicle as a weapon. The shooting sparked national protests and investigations. Good's death, along with the killing of Alex Pretti within the same two-week period, contributed to the removal and demotion of Border Patrol Commander-at-large Gregory Bovino and the firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in March 2026.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.