Human Impact Project

ICE arrested 19-year-old Willmar High School student Suban Noor on January 12. She was reportedly held in custody for several days before being released.

Ramon Menera, a naturalized US citizen born in Mexico, was detained by a US Border Patrol agent outside his home in a Minneapolis suburb on January 14, 2026, while walking with his five-year-old daughter. The agent cited Menera's accent as the reason for questioning. His citizenship was verified through federal records and he was released. The incident, part of Operation Metro Surge, has prompted legal challenges alleging racial profiling and civil rights violations, with lawsuits filed by the Minnesota Attorney General and the ACLU.

Jessica Marlene Corrales-Duarte, a 32-year-old DACA recipient, was arrested by ICE on January 15, 2026, following a felony indictment for allegedly stealing approximately $5,500 in merchandise from an Ulta Beauty store in August 2025. Her DACA status was terminated in November 2025 following the indictment. She has been detained at Eloy Detention Center and is unable to appear at her scheduled Pima County criminal trial, raising constitutional concerns about her right to be present and confront her accuser.

Danna, who had legal immigration status, was detained by ICE in mid-January 2026 after being racially profiled. She and her 6-year-old child were transported to Texas while her 2-year-old remained with a guardian. It took one month to secure their release and reunite the family. Her husband was deported during this period, leaving Danna as sole provider.

An employee at Pancho's Taqueria & Mexican Café in Circle Pines was detained by ICE agents on January 15 while possessing a valid work visa. He was transported to the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis and then to El Paso, Texas. The restaurant owner set up a GoFundMe that quickly raised $25,000 from customers and supporters to cover legal fees, and plans to sponsor the worker to help secure his release.

An Ecuadoran citizen who has lived in the U.S. since 2007 was taken into custody by immigration authorities on January 15, 2026. The government classified her under mandatory detention provisions, but the federal court ruled she was wrongly classified and is entitled to a bond hearing under discretionary detention statutes. The court ordered immigration authorities to provide her with a bond hearing.

Heber Sánchez died while in ICE custody at Robert A. Deyton Detention Facility in Clayton County, Georgia. The cause of death is unclear and an autopsy is being performed by the Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office. The Mexican Consulate has requested clarification on the circumstances and is coordinating to return Sánchez's body to Mexico. He is survived by a wife and two children.

Jose Oleaz, 34, was detained by ICE during a raid in Pomona on Wednesday while serving as the sole caregiver for his 13-year-old nephew Bryan. Oleaz immigrated from Mexico over 20 years ago and had been raising Bryan following the deaths of his wife Yesenia and sister Alejandra in a DUI crash two years prior. According to family members, Oleaz is a landscaper with no criminal record who also cares for his father with cancer.

Estefany, a Colombian woman with a clean record and a pending immigration court case, was arrested while walking her youngest child to the school bus stop and transferred to El Paso. She had a bacterial infection and required hospitalization before her transfer. A federal judge ordered her release on January 15, 2026, but officers did not free her until two days later. The case exemplified the Justice Department's failure to follow judicial orders during Operation Metro Surge.

Heber Sanchez Dominguez, a 34-year-old Mexican man, died on January 14, 2026 after 6 days in ICE custody at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas. His death was attributed to suicide by hanging.

A parent was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday morning while waiting at a bus stop with their child in Crystal, Minnesota. The incident occurred at Northport Elementary School's bus stop, and multiple students and the bus driver witnessed the detention. The school district stated that all students, including the child of the arrested parent, were able to safely board the bus and provided support services to affected students and staff.

A Honduran national was arrested for larceny on January 14, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Florida. ICE issued a detention order the same day. After criminal charges were dismissed on March 12, 2026, he was taken into ICE custody despite being scheduled for release. He has been detained at Golden State Annex in California since March 20, 2026, with a pending asylum case. The court granted his habeas petition, finding he was wrongfully denied a bond hearing and ordered ICE to provide one within 14 days or release him immediately.

Heber Sánchez Domínguez, 34, a day laborer from Las Choapas, Veracruz, Mexico, who had been living in the United States for two years, was arrested on January 7, 2026, in Richmond County, Georgia, for driving without a license following a traffic accident. He was transferred to the Robert A. Deyton Detention Center in Madison County on January 11. On January 14 at 2 a.m., after six days in custody, guards found him unconscious and hanging by his neck in his cell. Medical personnel attempted resuscitation and transferred him to a hospital, where he was declared dead one hour later. His cellmate reported he had complained of feeling sick before his death. His family stated he was not allowed to contact them after his arrest and expressed distress at this lack of communication. His brother Feliciano stated, "We want justice because they should have given him medical attention." His 102-year-old mother, Catalina Sánchez Domínguez, expressed her pain at learning her son died in U.S. police custody. His family disputes official accounts and has called for a thorough investigation into why he did not receive medical care. Mexico's consulate in Atlanta and the Mexican Foreign Ministry requested a prompt and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his death.

Isela Hernandez Lugo, a Mexican national, was arrested by ICE agents in the Cottonwood Safeway parking lot on January 14. According to ICE, Hernandez Lugo entered the United States without inspection and remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. A bystander recorded video of the arrest, describing it as ICE "snatching" the woman off the street.

Alfredo A. Aljorna was detained by ICE agents at a Minneapolis home on January 14, 2026, and initially charged after agents claimed he and his cousin attacked an officer with a shovel and broom. Video evidence contradicted ICE's account, leading the Justice Department to drop charges in February. U.S. authorities have opened a criminal investigation into whether two ICE officers lied under oath about the shooting; the officers have been placed on administrative leave and may face termination and criminal prosecution.

A father of four and grandfather of three was detained by ICE on January 14, 2026, while walking from a mini market back to work during his break. He had no arrest warrant. His family is seeking financial assistance to support the family during his detention.

A Liberian man was arrested after armed immigration agents used a battering ram to enter his Minneapolis home. According to his attorney, the man had been checking in with federal authorities for years prior to the raid.

On January 14, 2026, an ICE agent shot and wounded Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant, during an enforcement operation in north Minneapolis following a traffic stop pursuit. The Department of Homeland Security initially claimed Sosa-Celis attacked an agent with a shovel and broomstick for three minutes, but video footage contradicted this account, showing only a 12-second confrontation with no sustained attack. Prosecutors had access to the video within hours but did not review it until nearly three weeks after charging Sosa-Celis and his housemate; both charges were subsequently dropped. Two federal ICE agents were placed on administrative leave after DHS determined their testimony was untrue, and they faced possible termination or criminal charges for apparent perjury.

On January 13, 2026, ICE agents detained multiple enrolled members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, including at least three to four Oglala Lakota men, during a sweep of a homeless encampment near the Little Earth housing complex in Minneapolis. Three detainees were transferred to an ICE facility at Fort Snelling. The Oglala Sioux Tribe asserted that enrolled members are U.S. citizens by statute and fall outside immigration jurisdiction. Federal officials refused to provide information about the detainees unless the tribe agreed to an immigration enforcement agreement with ICE and DHS. Tribal President Frank Star Comes Out and the tribe publicly rejected this condition, stating they would not compromise tribal sovereignty or authorize ICE operations on tribal land. The tribe contacted Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to locate the detainees and issued guidance to members on asserting their citizenship rights.

ICE agents visited El Tapatio, a Mexican restaurant in Willmar, Minnesota for lunch on January 14, 2026, then returned and detained the restaurant's owners and a dishwasher. According to DHS, agents were conducting surveillance of an undocumented immigrants from Mexico and apprehended three individuals total, including one with a final order of removal from an immigration judge. The restaurant closed early following the incident.

A Peruvian man who had been paroled into the United States under the Migrant Protection Protocols program was detained during a scheduled ICE check-in appointment on January 13, 2026. He had been living in Memphis, Tennessee, had obtained a driver's license and work authorization, and had been regularly reporting to ICE as required. The court denied his habeas corpus petition challenging his detention without an individualized bond hearing. Another Peruvian citizen, who entered the U.S. in November 2022, was detained on December 1, 2025 after voluntarily appearing at the Memphis Immigration office for allegedly failing to comply with ATD program conditions. He had previously been released on parole due to time in custody constraints and placed in the Alternatives to Detention program. The court denied his habeas petition seeking release or a bond hearing, ruling that as an applicant for admission he is subject to mandatory detention under federal law.

Border agents conducted an operation at a Target store in Richfield, Minnesota, resulting in the arrest of workers at the location. Video footage captured agents descending on the store during what appeared to be a drive-up operation.

ICE arrested a protester wearing a giraffe costume in Minneapolis. The incident involved law enforcement action against a demonstrator. Limited details are available from the provided article text.

A New York City Council employee was detained by ICE during a routine immigration court appointment in Bethpage, Long Island on Monday. DHS identified the employee as Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez from Venezuela, alleging he entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2017 that expired and has a criminal history. City officials and Democratic leaders called the detention egregious government overreach, noting the employee had work authorization and passed background checks for his position as a data analyst.

Christina Rank, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen classroom assistant, was arrested by ICE agents outside Concord Education Center in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota on Monday, January 12, 2026, around 7:30 a.m. ICE agents claimed Rank rammed an agent's vehicle, but witnesses disputed this account, stating the agent ran into her white Honda and broke her window. Rank was held in custody at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling for almost 12 hours before being released. As of Monday afternoon, no charges had been filed against her. Her mother, Sarah Rank, questioned the purpose of ICE agents at the school and the use of force employed during the arrest.

Gage Diego Garcia, a U.S. citizen, was held for six hours on Monday after ICE officers approached him in an alleyway and demanded identification. When Garcia refused and began to blow a whistle, officers pushed him against a car, pointed a Taser at him, and accused him of assault by spitting. Video recorded by a friend documents the physical altercation. Officers told Garcia he was picked up because he "looked like someone who committed a crime" and said "we'll figure it out" when asked what crime. Officers later referenced a fatal shooting by another agent, saying "things could have gone really south for you like those agents did to Renee Good." The incident occurred as ICE has deployed approximately 3,000 officers to Minneapolis.

ICE agents arrested a woman in Minneapolis who was attempting to drive through a street where the agency was conducting a raid to reach her doctor's appointment. When the woman refused to move her car, agents broke her car window, cut her seatbelt, and dragged her out before arresting her. The incident occurred amid a broader ICE enforcement operation in the city.

Ryan Ecklund, a U.S. citizen and Twin Cities realtor, was detained by ICE agents for approximately 10 hours on Monday after following and recording their movements from his vehicle in Woodbury. According to Ecklund, five agents boxed in his vehicle, forcibly removed him, threw him to the ground, and one agent placed him in a chokehold. He was taken to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling and released without charges.

Nasra Ahmed, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, was arrested and detained by ICE for two days. According to the post, ICE agents handcuffed her, used racial slurs, and knocked her to the ground so forcefully that she sustained a concussion.

A ProPublica investigation identified over 40 cases in which immigration agents used chokeholds and other neck restraints on civilians, citizens, and protesters during deportation enforcement operations. Former police officers and law enforcement experts reviewed the footage and stated the tactics resulted in apparent seizures, loss of consciousness, and serious injuries. The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly reported any disciplinary action against agents despite a federal ban on such tactics since 2023.

ICE agents surrounded a family's home with weapons drawn and pointed guns at an unarmed mother and her children. Agents briefly detained a U.S. citizen teenager without a warrant before releasing him after realizing they lacked authority to arrest him. The incident involved armed agents at an unarmed family inside their own home.

Shovgi Huseynov, a UB medical researcher from Azerbaijan, was detained by ICE after making a wrong turn onto the Peace Bridge on January 7 and crossing into Canada. Upon his return to the United States, border agents arrested him. ICE claims he was in the country illegally on an expired visa, but his attorney states he applied for permanent legal status while his visa was active, which provides authorized stay, and he has valid work authorization through 2029. Multiple state and local officials, including Rep. Tim Kennedy, have condemned his detention and called for his immediate release.

A same-sex female couple in Pennsylvania had one woman detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a regularly scheduled immigration check-in. The detainee was transferred to a detention center in California.

Rob Potylo, an artist, comedian, director and activist known as Robby Roadsteamer on Instagram, was arrested on Monday during anti-ICE demonstrations in Minneapolis. He was detained in federal custody but has been released. Potylo is known for wearing a distinctive giraffe costume during anti-ICE protests, which has generated viral videos.

A 25-year-old dual national of Venezuela and Colombia entered the United States without inspection on February 24, 2024, and was released by ICE on an Order of Release on Recognizance under the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program. On January 13, 2026, while appearing for a scheduled check-in in San Bernardino, California, ICE took her into custody, alleging violations of her supervision conditions. The court granted her Temporary Restraining Order application, finding she was likely detained in violation of her due process rights, and ordered her immediate release pending resolution of her habeas corpus petition.

Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, a 46-year-old Eritrean man and respected leader of the Muslim community, died on December 14, 2025, after 216 days in ICE custody at Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center in Pennsylvania. On December 5, 2025, Abdulkadir filed a habeas corpus petition seeking release from custody. He sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on December 11, 2025, but the court denied both motions. On January 13, 2026, the court dismissed his habeas petition as moot following his death. CAIR Northern Ohio and CAIR Philadelphia issued a statement expressing condolences to his family and reaffirming their commitment to advocating for humane treatment in immigration detention facilities.

Abel, an undocumented immigrant who has lived in Minnesota for 29 years with his four U.S.-born children, was detained by immigration agents on January 13, 2026, while delivering groceries to families in hiding during Operation Metro Surge. Agents pulled over his vehicle in Burnsville and arrested him despite his pending green card approval. He was held at a detention center in El Paso, Texas, for two weeks before being released on January 29, 2026. His arrest forced his wife into hiding and left his sons to manage household responsibilities.

A U.S. citizen was arrested during an immigration enforcement crackdown. The family disputes the arrest and claims their relative should not have been taken into custody.

Hani Duglof, a 32-year-old with a rare genetic disorder (RDEB) that causes skin blistering, was detained by ICE after agents ran his license plate while he was driving. He was transferred to M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital after requesting medical attention, where he remains in ICE custody. His family and attorney are seeking his release, citing his severe medical condition and his pending asylum application that has been ongoing for over 10 years.

Two Minneapolis residents who monitor immigration officers' activities were detained by ICE for several hours without being charged. During their detention, they were held without access to phone calls and were pressured to provide information about protest organizers and undocumented immigrants.

A 19-year-old man from Ecuador applying for Special Immigrant Juvenile status and asylum was detained by Border Patrol agents outside a T-Mobile store in Minneapolis on January 13, 2026. He was transported to Texas and held for seven days without access to legal counsel. After attorney Kira Kelley filed a habeas petition, a court ordered his return to Minnesota and release from custody on January 20, 2026.

A high school graduate was detained during an ICE raid while working.

ICE agents rammed into Christian Molina's car in south Minneapolis on January 12, 2026, then questioned him about his immigration status. Molina, a U.S. citizen, refused to comply and was not detained. The incident occurred two blocks from where an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good on January 7.

A Navajo man named Peter Yazzie was detained by ICE agents at a gas station in Peoria on January 12th despite presenting multiple forms of identification including a Certificate of Indian Blood, driver's license, and birth certificate. Yazzie, a U.S. citizen under the Citizenship Act of 1924, was detained for four hours. Tribal leaders stated that federally recognized tribal IDs are needed and questioned whether ICE operated within its legal jurisdiction regarding Native Americans.

Nimco Omar, a Somali-American U.S. citizen, was stopped by multiple masked ICE officers while walking in her Minneapolis neighborhood. The officers demanded identification and proof of citizenship status. Omar refused to provide ID and asserted she was a U.S. citizen, but an officer threatened to place her in a vehicle and warned of federal charges if she was lying. Omar recorded the encounter on her phone out of fear. Legal experts noted that U.S. citizens have no legal obligation to provide identification while walking or standing in public. The encounter occurred as part of ICE's expanded enforcement operations in Minneapolis.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted enforcement operations across multiple Los Angeles neighborhoods over the weekend, resulting in the detention of at least a dozen people. Arrests occurred in Echo Park, Silver Lake, Downey, Eagle Rock, and Highland Park, with DHS confirming that 11 detainees were from Mexico and El Salvador. Community members witnessed and documented the incidents as federal immigration agents took people into custody. Some of those detained reportedly had valid documentation or long-term residence in the U.S., according to witnesses and local organizations including the Los Angeles Tenants Union.

David Vargas-Rivera, a Mexican national, was arrested by ICE Dallas officers on January 12, 2026, in Frisco, Texas. According to federal authorities, Vargas-Rivera is wanted in Mexico on homicide charges and is suspected of laundering more than $4.6 million through real estate transactions in 2025. Authorities identified him as an associate of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, allegedly functioning as a hitman and involved in fuel theft operations. He was deported on July 14, 2026, and turned over to Mexican law enforcement authorities.

A Vietnamese immigrant who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 1992 was detained by ICE on January 12, 2026, during what he believed was a routine check-in appointment at an Anchorage facility. ICE held him for 65 days in the Anchorage Correctional Complex, citing a denied green card application based on an old teenage criminal conviction from the 1990s. His attorney and immigration lawyers disputed the detention, arguing he was eligible for permanent residency under the Indochinese Parole Adjustment Act and that the criminal conviction on his DHS record was inaccurate. A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order, and ICE canceled his final administrative removal order on March 18, 2026, resulting in his release. He was released on conditions including an ankle monitor and weekly ICE reporting requirements.

ICE agents conducted a raid at and near a laundromat on Speedwell Avenue in Morristown, New Jersey, detaining 11 people. At least one father was taken into custody, leaving his 6-year-old daughter alone on the street. Those detained include a Morristown High School senior, identified through an online fundraiser set up to support him. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said all those arrested are either in removal proceedings or in the process of being removed from the United States. Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty posted a video appealing for volunteer legal aid to assist those detained.

Garrison Gibson, a Liberian national in his late 30s living in north Minneapolis, was arrested by ICE agents on January 11, 2026, when they used a battering ram to break down his door. Gibson had been regularly checking in with immigration authorities. According to Gibson's account, the agents took trophy photos during the arrest and held him in an overcrowded cell. The agents were armed with an administrative warrant rather than a judicial search warrant.