Human Impact Project

Mark, a U.S. citizen, received his high school diploma in May 2026 while his father Marco watched remotely from Mexico, nearly 2,000 miles away. Marco was arrested by ICE in December 2025 and deported to El Salvador in March despite 40 years in the country and owning a contracting business in Maryland. Mark struggled academically during his senior year following his father's deportation but completed his education. A Guardian investigation found that during the first seven months of the Trump administration, approximately 27,000 children—including 12,000 U.S. citizens—were separated from their parents through immigration enforcement.

Izzy Aly, a 40-year-old Egyptian national, has been detained by ICE at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania since December 2025. A DHS medical exam in January found stage 3 kidney disease, but Aly was not informed until March. Advocates allege ICE has denied his requests for treatment, and he recently reported seeing blood in his urine. Immigrant rights groups are calling for his release to receive proper medical care.

Angel, a Nicaraguan political activist and LGBTQ community member who fled Nicaragua in 2019 after nearly being killed by the government, was detained by ICE in late December 2025 while driving to work. He holds official work authorization from USCIS. He is being held in ICE custody and facing removal proceedings while seeking funds for legal representation in a habeas petition to challenge his detention.

A dairy farm worker in New York's North Country was detained by Border Patrol. His girlfriend, Myrna Romero, spoke about the impact of the detention on their family, expressing concerns about freedom and safety in the country.

Diana Sanchez, a Stockton-area resident with pending asylum and U-visa applications, was detained by ICE officers at a check-in appointment in mid-December 2025 at Otay Mesa Detention Center. During her nearly four-month detention, she witnessed multiple medical emergencies including strokes and fainting, reported inadequate medical response and poor food quality, and experienced retaliation from guards after filing grievances about treatment. A federal judge ruled in her favor in April 2026, finding ICE lacked authority to detain her, and she was released.

Viktoriia Bulavina, 46, a Ukrainian who entered the US in September 2022 under the Uniting for Ukraine program and obtained a Green Card, was detained by ICE on December 4, 2025, during a scheduled green card interview in San Diego. She is married to US citizen Victor Korol and remains in federal custody. DHS claims her Temporary Protected Status expired in April 2025, while her legal team states her TPS application was approved in June 2024.

Carlos, a Venezuelan man with temporary protected status, was detained by ICE at a New Mexico immigration office in December 2025 after being called for what he believed was a reunification meeting with his 14-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter. Federal officials had previously vetted Carlos and told him his custody case was complete. When he arrived at the ICE office, officers attempted to force him to sign documents he did not understand. After refusing to sign, officers stripped his clothes, seized his belongings, and chained him by the neck, waist, and legs. Carlos said he felt "tricked" and that ICE "used my children to grab me." His two children had been in a federal shelter in Texas for nearly a year after crossing the border to reunite with him. According to reporting, the Trump administration's Office of Refugee Resettlement has begun coordinating with ICE to arrest parents and caregivers seeking custody of unaccompanied migrant children, reversing Obama-era restrictions on data sharing between the resettlement office and immigration enforcement.

From November 26 through December 1, 2025, ICE and HSI stopped and questioned approximately 25 people during Thanksgiving week, detaining at least 15 of them. Operations spanned multiple Southern California locations including the San Fernando Valley (Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Carlsbad), San Bernardino area (San Bernardino, Ontario, Fontana, Montclair), San Diego, and Orange County, with at least two detentions confirmed on Thanksgiving Day itself. ICE employed increased vehicle stops, questioned people at gas stations and bus stops, and was observed near detention facilities in San Luis Obispo, Oxnard, Rialto, and El Monte.

Ehsan Rajabi, an Iranian graduate student at Johns Hopkins University studying art history, had his student visa cancelled by U.S. border officials at the American border near Buffalo, New York. After presenting all required documentation including his student visa and Canadian visitor visa, officers searched his car and phone, interrogated him for hours, and then used a red marker to draw a cancellation line across his student visa.

Community organizers in Fontana, California are providing legal representation and mental health support resources to an Indigenous family in connection with immigration enforcement actions.

Mohammad Rasoli, an 18-year-old Afghan citizen who entered the U.S. through Operation Allies Refuge, was detained by ICE on November 28, 2025, without warning. He was charged with removability for being present without proper immigration documentation after his OAR enrollment expired. An Immigration Judge granted his asylum application in March 2026, but DHS appealed. The court ordered the government to show cause why he should not be released and enjoined his transfer outside New Mexico.

Paulino Martin, an undocumented handyman who lived in Beaverton for over 30 years, was detained by ICE while driving to get lunch and deported to Mexico within three days. The community gathered at Southridge High School to rally in support of Martin, a father of three with no criminal record, as speakers praised his character and work ethic.

Federal immigration enforcement officer Bovino was found by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis to have lied about a rock-throwing incident used to justify deploying tear gas against protesters in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood during Operation Midway Blitz. Video evidence contradicted his claim that he was hit by a rock before throwing tear gas, and the judge issued a preliminary injunction against federal immigration agents for violating her temporary restraining order by using force without warning.

U.S. citizens testified before Congress about violent encounters with federal immigration agents. Daniel Rascon described an incident where agents pointed rifles at him and shot at his car.

Indigenous actor Elaine Miles was stopped by ICE agents in Redmond, Washington, who questioned the validity of her tribal ID from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, with one agent calling it "fake." Miles said the agents did not identify themselves and attempted to take her phone when she tried to call the tribal enrollment office to verify her ID. Her son and uncle were also reportedly detained by ICE agents who initially rejected their tribal IDs before being released.

Fredy Arcenio Zavala-Baires, 25, a Salvadoran national who entered the U.S. as a child, was detained at an ICE appointment in November 2025 and deported to El Salvador on November 27, 2025, despite being married to Sgt. Nataly Castro, a seven-year Army National Guard veteran. An immigration judge issued a removal order against him in 2017, which was affirmed by the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2018. As of June 2026, Castro had spent over $3,000 in legal fees attempting to bring her husband back, while ICE officials maintained that Zavala-Baires received full due process and that clear legal pathways exist for military spouses seeking immigration benefits.

Alma Bowman, a 59-year-old Macon resident, was detained by ICE on March 26, 2025, during a routine check-in and held at Stewart Detention Center for 243 days until her release in late November 2025. Bowman claims U.S. citizenship as the daughter of an American Navy serviceman and was born in the Philippines. ICE asserted she was in the country illegally. This was her second detention; she had previously been held for three years (2017-2020) at Irwin County Detention Center following criminal convictions deemed deportable offenses. During her detention, Bowman reported inadequate medical care and overcrowded conditions. Her attorney argued the prolonged detainment violated her constitutional rights, and her citizenship status remained legally disputed throughout her custody.

Gabriela Lozano Sousa, a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. legally through a humanitarian parole program in 2023, has been detained by ICE for five months following a domestic dispute in October 2025 that resulted in no criminal charges. Despite entering legally and marrying a U.S. citizen in April 2025, ICE incorrectly classified her as an "arriving immigrants," subjecting her to mandatory detention without a bond hearing. Her attorneys argue the classification is legally incorrect and that she should be eligible for bond review as someone arrested within the country.

Leticia Jacobo, a 24-year-old Native American woman, was jailed in Iowa for a traffic infraction and faced potential transfer to an ICE Detention Center for deportation. Indigenous rights groups intervened to prevent her deportation.

A person warned their community that ICE agents were staging outside houses and then parked at a trolley station to observe. When ICE agents returned to the station, they attempted to detain the person, who fled because the agents were masked and refused to identify themselves. The person claims to be an American citizen and states that other people were also detained at the scene.

San Diego Humane Society has taken in 18 pets from 11 owners since June 2025, operating at 173% capacity. Animals including Tita, a 4-year-old Chihuahua whose owners were deported, and Cata, a pit bull mix found in Mira Mesa after her owner's deportation, are among those left behind. The county Department of Animal Services has also received pets from deported individuals.

Joel Andre and his family were detained by ICE and held in a detention facility in Texas. The community is calling for legal assistance and urging elected officials Collins, King, and Pingree to help prevent his deportation.

Jeffrey Lopez-Suazo, 26, was arrested during an ICE raid on November 25 after allegedly ramming his vehicle into an ICE agent's van while attempting to flee. The raid drew hundreds of protesters who clashed with police and federal agents. Lopez-Suazo, seeking asylum from Honduras, was charged with assaulting an ICE agent and was subsequently held for immigration proceedings.

Two 16-year-old Venezuelan cousins were detained by immigration agents during a raid on their Detroit home in late November 2025. The teens, who arrived in the U.S. in 2023 and were formally seeking asylum with valid work permits, were taken into custody along with two of their parents while agents searched for a different individual. Both were students at Western International High School and had pending asylum cases scheduled for immigration court. They were transferred to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Texas, hundreds of miles from their support network. Community members, students, and advocates held a rally at Clark Park calling for their immediate release.

Fernando Vazquez, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen born in Raleigh, was detained by Border Patrol agents at a construction site in Cary, North Carolina on Tuesday. Despite showing his North Carolina Real ID, agents handcuffed and transported him before dropping him off a half mile away. The incident occurred during large-scale immigration enforcement operations in the Triangle area.

Allan Marrero, originally from the Cayman Islands, has been detained by ICE for 113 days following a marriage-based green card interview at Federal Plaza in New York City on November 24, 2025. His husband Matthew Marrero and advocates including clergy and legal counsel have been working to secure his release.

Christian Jimenez, 17, a U.S. citizen and high school senior in Oregon, was stopped and detained by ICE officers on November 21, 2025, during his lunch break while driving his father's car. Officers broke the driver's side window despite Jimenez telling them he was a U.S. citizen. He was held at ICE's Portland facility for nearly seven hours before being released and now faces charges of interference or obstruction of investigation. DHS claimed the teenager violently attacked officers with his vehicle, but his family and immigrant-justice groups disputed this account. Jimenez was one of four U.S. citizens detained by ICE in the Portland area that week, prompting a 300-student walkout and community protests over ICE enforcement tactics near schools.

Dulce Consuelo Morales Diaz, an American woman, was released after being held in ICE custody for 25 days. She was detained after speaking Spanish outside a restaurant in Maryland during what her attorney describes as a 'Kavanaugh Stop.' Despite evidence of her American birth, the government has disputed her citizenship claim and she remains at risk of deportation.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Vahid Abedini, an Iranian Studies professor at OU's College of International Studies, at Will Rogers International Airport on Saturday while he was boarding a flight to attend an academic conference in Washington, D.C. Abedini, who holds an H-1B visa for specialty occupation employment, was detained and later released Monday after being held for what DHS described as standard questioning.

Vahid Abedini, an OU College of International Studies professor with an employer-sponsored H-1B visa, was detained by ICE for three days after being stopped at Will Rogers Airport in November while preparing to travel to an academic conference. Federal authorities said the detention was for standard questioning, though Abedini was asked very few questions according to colleagues. He has since been released but remains fearful of retaliation and has limited his public comments about the incident.

Thi Dua Vang and her family found asylum in the U.S. in 2023 and she applied for her green card, which is awaiting final approval. ICE agents showed up at her doorstep, which Vang believed to be a mistake given her pending legal status.

Edwin Josue Padilla Molina, who entered the U.S. in 2013 as a 14-year-old and has lived continuously in Central Islip for twelve years, was detained by ICE on November 23, 2025 while driving his pregnant partner and mother-in-law. A federal judge granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release, finding that his detention without an individualized custody determination violated federal law and constitutional due process rights. The court rejected the government's argument that he was subject to mandatory detention, ruling instead that he was entitled to a bond hearing.

Mor Ba, a 19-year-old asylum seeker from Senegal, was detained by ICE on the morning before Thanksgiving while entering his car to go to work. Ba, who had no criminal record and was months away from his asylum hearing, was taken to the North Lake Processing Center in northwest Michigan. His aunt, Seydi Sarr, a Detroit-based immigrant rights advocate, learned of his detention when he called her from the ICE office and eventually posted a $10,000 bond for his release in January.

A 17-year-old U.S. citizen and high school senior was detained by ICE Border Patrol agents in Yamhill County after allegedly following and obstructing federal agents in a vehicle on Friday. McMinnville School District Superintendent Kourtney Ferrua confirmed ICE officers took the student into custody off school grounds during lunch. The minor was transported to the ERO Portland office for investigation and federal prosecution for impeding federal law enforcement officers.

A federal judge is determining if ICE agents had probable cause to charge Miguel Angel Garcia Martinez, a U.S. citizen, with assault. Martinez fled from officers who began chasing him while he was documenting Border Patrol operations in Charlotte. Court video showed ICE agents planned to 'smash' into Martinez's vehicle during the chase.

Isaias Eduardo Soto Elias, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE Border Patrol agents in Yamhill County after allegedly following and obstructing the agents in a vehicle on Friday. He was transported to the ERO Portland office for investigation and federal prosecution for impeding federal law enforcement officers. DHS stated the detentions occurred during ICE sweeps in the county that resulted in at least seven other arrests.

Christian Jimenez, 17, a U.S. citizen and high school senior, was detained by ICE officers while driving off school grounds during lunch break in McMinnville. An officer broke the car's driver's side window and detained Jimenez despite him stating he was a U.S. citizen. He was transported to an ICE facility in South Portland and released shortly before 7 p.m. Authorities are attempting to charge his brother with obstruction of investigation.

Sam Behpoor, a restaurateur and manager of Pismo's Coastal Grill, was released on bond after being held in ICE custody for over eight months beginning June 23, 2025, when he attended an immigration interview. Behpoor had lost his green card following a 2004 non-aggravated burglary conviction and was detained while attempting to reinstate it. An immigration judge determined he did not pose a danger to the community or flight risk, allowing him to post bond and return home to his wife and toddler. The Governor had pardoned his 2004 conviction in November.

On November 21, 2025, ICE agents detained Christian Jimenez, a 17-year-old U.S. citizen and McMinnville High School senior, during lunch break in Oregon. Despite asserting his citizenship, agents broke his car window and transported him to an ICE facility in South Portland before releasing him later that day. The detention was part of ICE sweeps in Yamhill County that week resulting in at least 7 total detentions, including at least 4 U.S. citizens. The incident occurred off school grounds but was witnessed by students in the area. A protest was held in response. The McMinnville School District confirmed increased ICE activity in the community while noting that agents have not entered school buildings.

Bryan Cuautle Romero, 29, a long-term U.S. resident married to a U.S. citizen with two U.S. citizen children, was detained at West Tennessee Detention Facility in Mason on November 21, 2025, after checking in at an ICE office. ICE invoked a mandatory detention policy for individuals without admission or inspection. Despite a subsequent Sixth Circuit Court ruling against the mandatory detention policy in May 2026, Bryan had already accepted voluntary deportation to Mexico with a final removal date of June 6, 2026. His wife Lauren plans to pursue an I-130 petition to bring him back to the United States.

Alejandro Orrego Agudelo, a 27-year-old Colombian asylum seeker, was arrested by Boston police on November 21 after a dispute over a parking space on Falcon Street in East Boston. He was charged with assault and battery on a police officer and released by a judge that same day at East Boston District Court. However, ICE agents arrested him in the courthouse lockup and detained him for four months at Plymouth County jail under the Laken Riley Act. After legal challenges including a habeas corpus petition and dismissal of criminal charges, an immigration judge granted him bond, and he was released.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted enforcement operations in Long Beach on Thursday, resulting in at least nine detentions at workplaces. Mayor Rex Richardson and Supervisor Janice Hahn commented on the operations, with Richardson referencing a violent incident involving a gardener at a restaurant. DHS stated six people in the country without authorization from Mexico were arrested who had prior criminal histories.

Two U.S. citizen women were detained by ICE agents in Canby on Thursday after filming the agents in a parking lot. They were held for hours without access to an attorney before being released. The Oregon for All coalition, which reported the detentions, noted the women have chosen to remain anonymous due to fears of retaliation. The detentions occurred during ICE sweeps in Yamhill County that resulted in at least seven other arrests.

ICE agents detained a 16-year-old high school intern at the Licht Judicial Complex in Providence on November 20, 2025, after misidentifying the teenager as their target. Superior Court Judge Joseph J. McBurney intervened, and agents verified their information and released the intern. Governor Dan McKee and Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos issued statements regarding the incident.

The longtime owner of La Playa Taco Shop, a well-known decades-old Mexican restaurant in Pacific Beach, San Diego, has been detained by federal immigration authorities and is facing possible deportation.

Emmanuel Gonzalez-Garcia, a 16-year-old with autism, was separated from his mother Maria Garcia on October 4-5, 2025, while they were selling fruit as street vendors in Houston. After going missing, he was located by firefighters during a welfare check and told police he was homeless, providing a different name. Houston police turned him over to ICE, and he was placed in federal custody with the Office of Refugee Resettlement as an unaccompanied immigrant minor. After approximately 48-50 days in detention, a federal judge ruled that authorities lacked legal authority to detain him since he was not truly unaccompanied. He was reunited with his mother, though their immigration court cases remain pending.

Federal immigration agents detained a gardener in Long Beach's University Park Estates neighborhood on January 21, 2026, after he fled into a restaurant. The man claimed to be a dual citizen and showed agents an identification card during the detention. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson criticized the operation as an "abduction" and said it reflected "a pattern of enforcement rooted in fear and intimidation."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been holding 23-year-old Eric Sebastian Ferrales, a Laveen landscaper who has lived in the United States since age 3, for two weeks. Although Ferrales lacks legal status, his family states the U.S. is the only country he has ever truly known. He now faces deportation proceedings.

ICE conducted a raid at a Koreatown plaza in Los Angeles. A security guard at the location reported that approximately 10 people were detained during the operation. The guard stated that shoppers were present at businesses in the plaza including Speakeasy Fitness and Food 4 Less.

A U.S. Border Patrol officer in Key Largo, Florida threatened to arrest a 64-year-old legal observer for following an unmarked CBP vehicle and recording the encounter. The observer, part of a local group monitoring immigration enforcement activity, was warned he would be arrested for allegedly impeding an investigation. Multiple federal circuit courts have upheld the First Amendment right to record police and federal agents, and civil liberties groups say such monitoring is protected activity.