Human Impact Project

Patricia Balbuena Soto, a 49-year-old mother who had lived in the United States for 30 years, was arrested at her workplace in Atlantic City on July 24, 2025, on criminal charges including home invasion burglary and weapon possession. She was transferred to ICE custody on July 25 and held at Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey, then Port Isabel in Texas. On August 5, 2025, she was deported to Mexico, leaving behind her 17-year-old U.S. citizen daughter. The teenager, an honors student, was forced to abandon her college plans and assume financial responsibility for herself at age 17.

Carlos Lool, owner and chef of La Granja Rotisserie and Fuego Rotisserie in South Los Angeles, was detained by ICE agents on May 10, 2026, while picking up supplies for a catering event. According to witnesses, masked agents followed their vehicle and forcibly removed Lool with guns drawn, placing him on the floor at gunpoint. The detention followed a report from a former employee claiming a firearm was kept at the restaurant in violation of Lool's parole conditions. Lool, originally from Guatemala and raised in Connecticut, has a criminal conviction from approximately 30 years ago for which he has already served his sentence. He now faces deportation proceedings while his children, employees, and businesses remain in the U.S., with supporters launching a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal expenses.

José Contreras Díaz, a 30-year-old DACA recipient from Edinburg, Texas, was arrested by ICE agents during a routine check-in appointment in January 2026 and deported to Honduras despite his valid protected status. After his attorney challenged the deportation citing federal court precedent, immigration authorities granted him parole to return to the United States. Upon arrival at Harlingen Airport on April 29, 2026, ICE agents detained him at Port Isabel Detention Center rather than releasing him as expected. He was released on May 7-8, 2026, after more than three months of separation from his family, including missing the birth of his son. He continues to face removal proceedings.

Maria Lidia Valle-Hernandez, a 28-year-old from Mexico, was removed from the United States on May 11, 2026, after attempting to fraudulently transfer her newborn baby to another undocumented immigrant to pay a debt to smugglers. She registered under a false name at St. Joseph's Hospital in Lake Saint Louis before giving birth in January 2024 and gave her hospital identification wristband to another woman to falsely claim the infant. Valle-Hernandez had been caught illegally entering the U.S. five times in August 2022 and was arrested for domestic assault in April 2026, which led to an ICE detainer. The newborn was taken into protective custody by Missouri Children's Division.

Rogelio Bolufé, a 44-year-old Cuban immigrant, initiated a 10-day hunger strike while detained at Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico to protest poor conditions and alleged confiscation of legal documents by CoreCivic staff. Within 48 hours of being taken to the Albuquerque ICE field office, he was transferred to multiple detention facilities across Texas, Alabama, Arizona, and Washington. Bolufé alleged the transfers constituted retaliation for his advocacy and complaints, and claimed he was denied medical care during the process, including being forced to sleep on cold floors in overcrowded conditions. He was appealing a deportation order and seeking a Green Card under the Cuban Adjustment Act. Bolufé was ultimately deported by ICE in May 2026.

Buenos Dias Coffee, a Latin-owned coffee shop in Rossville, Georgia, is closing after three years in business following the ICE detention of its owner and operator. The owner was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a traffic stop and is facing deportation. Her family, who co-own the business, announced the closure on Facebook and decided to sell the cafe and relocate to Mexico to reunite with and support the detained mother while she remains in custody.

Kevin González, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen with stage 4 colon cancer, pleaded with immigration authorities to release his parents so he could see them before his death. His parents, Mexican nationals Isidoro González Avilés and Norma Anabel Ramírez Amaya, were arrested near Douglas, Arizona on April 14, 2026, after attempting to reenter the U.S. following denied humanitarian and B1/B2 visa requests. They had been previously deported in 2011 and 2024, and were reported chained during court appearances while detained for weeks. A federal judge in Tucson ordered their release on May 8, 2026. They were deported to Mexico that day and traveled to Durango, where they reunited with Kevin on May 8. Kevin died on May 9, 2026, one day after the reunion.

Oscar, a 32-year-old Honduran environmental activist who had fled death threats, was arrested at an ICE check-in appointment and moved to a Texas detention facility before being deported to Honduras. His wife Ana and their 7- and 9-year-old children were granted asylum and remained in Maryland. Oscar's lawyer filed a petition for him to rejoin his family, but processing faces dramatic delays. Oscar remains in hiding in Honduras, staying alone in an apartment and avoiding going outside. When he calls his children, he tells them he didn't leave them by choice.

Marco, a 61-year-old man, was arrested at a Home Depot in Maryland and subsequently deported to El Salvador. His 17-year-old son Mark, a U.S. citizen, spent his final months of high school working to earn enough money for rent for himself and his mother.

José Contreras Díaz, a 30-year-old DACA recipient who grew up in Edinburg, Texas, was arrested at an immigration appointment on January 6, 2026, and deported to Honduras within days despite holding valid DACA status. While in Honduras, he missed the birth of his son, Mateo. After his attorney filed a legal challenge arguing the deportation was unlawful, ICE flew him back to Texas on April 29. Upon re-entry, he was immediately detained at Port Isabel Detention Center for eight days. Released on May 7-8, Contreras is now home with his wife and newborn son. He stated: "I would not wish what I've been through on anyone. They detained me, sent me to a country I barely remember, and then gave me hope — the hope that I could come home, see my family, and hold my son again. Then that hope was taken away." Contreras remains under deportation threat and must report periodically to ICE. The Department of Homeland Security has stated it still intends to deport him, arguing that DACA does not confer legal status.

Zong Yang, a South St. Paul resident who legally immigrated to the U.S. as a child, was detained in February 2026 during Operation Metro Surge and deported to Laos in May over a 1999 felony burglary conviction in Wisconsin. Yang had never lived in Laos before and does not speak the local language. He is now permanently barred from returning to the United States and living in Vientiane with other deportees while trying to support himself through low-wage work.

An ICE deportation charter flight operated by Omni Air held passengers shackled at the wrists, waists, and ankles for over 69 hours during a multi-country journey from Guam through Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The passengers included elders, people with disabilities, and individuals who had agreed to voluntary departure, with limited ability to move during the lengthy transport.

Ana Delgado, a Venezuelan woman with Temporary Protected Status and an active family-based immigration petition filed by her U.S. citizen husband, was detained by ICE on April 29, 2026, after an agent posing as an ISAP case manager deceived her into stepping outside her home in Texas. Nine ICE officers surrounded her and took her into custody, separating her from her 4-year-old child and 1-year-old daughter whom she was breastfeeding. While postpartum and nursing, Ana was held at Karnes detention center in Texas before being transferred to Eloy detention center in Arizona. She developed severe mastitis as a result of separation from her nursing infant and was denied requests to breastfeed during visitation and denied access to a breast pump. Ana has no criminal record and was in the process of adjusting status through her husband's sponsorship. ICE indicated she may be deported by Mother's Day. Ana Delgado, a TPS holder and stay-at-home mother who had lived in the U.S. for 7 years, was detained during a routine at-home check-in at her residence in San Antonio, Texas on April 29th. She was subsequently deported, separating her from her two young children, Hannah (12 months old) and Isaiah (4 years old). Delgado had been in the process of renewing her TPS and applying for adjustment of status after marrying a U.S. citizen.

Maria Trinidad Loya Medina, a Mexican national who lived in Albany, Oregon for over 20 years and was the primary caregiver for her husband and two U.S. citizen children, was detained by ICE agents on January 10, 2026, during Operation Black Rose while shopping at a sporting goods store in Albany. She was held at Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington for four months. An immigration judge denied her bond request on February 4 after a brief hearing, despite evidence of strong community ties and no criminal history. On May 7, Federal Judge Grady J. Leupold ordered her immediate release, finding that the immigration judge violated her constitutional due process rights by failing to consider relevant factors and abusing discretion in denying bond. The judge cited documented harm to her family, including her husband's stroke and daughter's depression. ICE delayed her release until May 8.

A woman named Alicia experienced a miscarriage while detained by ICE. Medical staff performed invasive procedures and administered medication without her consent or clear explanation of her condition. After being informed of the miscarriage, she was immediately returned to detention despite severe abdominal pain and continuous vaginal bleeding. ICE denied her repeated requests for follow-up medical care for over two months. She was only diagnosed and treated for a resulting serious infection after her deportation.

Brulan, a Haitian man who has lived in Marathon for 22 years and held valid Temporary Protected Status, was detained during a routine traffic stop on April 12, 2026, and deported to Haiti on May 7 despite a federal judge's order keeping TPS protections in place. Working three jobs as a bus driver, hotel worker, and restaurant employee, Brulan sent money home every two weeks to support as many as 50 family members in Haiti. In Haiti, he encountered armed gangs controlling highways and the capital, feared for his life, and remained confined to his brother's house. His lawyer filed a wrongful detention lawsuit, and Brulan was allowed to return to South Florida two weeks after deportation. Public records show only traffic citations in his background, and his restaurant employer described him as a "very good soul."

Pedro Fernández, an undocumented Cuban national with a prior cocaine trafficking conviction, was detained by ICE agents in Hialeah, Florida on May 7, 2026. The detention was part of a broader ICE operation targeting undocumented immigrants with serious criminal convictions, including sexual abuse of minors, assault, drug trafficking, and other felonies. Fernández lacked documentation confirming legal residence in the United States and faces deportation proceedings.

Sanan Atou, 43, who spent most of his life in Michigan, was deported to Iraq despite not being an Iraqi citizen. The Detroit Free Press reported on his case, highlighting the circumstances of his deportation.

Yenniffer Natalia England, a 32-year-old DACA recipient and nurse's assistant with valid work authorization through 2027, was detained by Texas state troopers on February 16, 2026, after a traffic stop for a suspended driver's license stemming from an unpaid speeding ticket. She was arrested while driving her brother and daughter to get tacos. ICE agents were tipped off by county jail staff and transferred her to El Valle Detention Facility in Raymondville, Texas. During her nearly three-month detention, her two daughters, ages 12 and 14, remained without her care. Her brother Francisco De La Rosa stated: "This is just tearing us apart. She's like the glue that keeps our family together." Community supporters from La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) organized protests calling for her release. An immigration judge initially denied her bond and issued a deportation order despite her legal DACA status and 28-year residence in the United States. On May 21, 2026, a federal judge granted England a writ of habeas corpus, ordering her release on the condition of wearing an ankle monitor.

ICE arrested Gabriel Maror Ayuel, 55, a Sudanese national, in Nashville on May 5, 2026, following a months-long investigation. Ayuel was convicted of first-degree attempted murder in 2003 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, with additional convictions including aggravated assault, DUI, and felony flight to avoid prosecution. An immigration judge issued a final removal order in July 2008, but Ayuel remained in the United States for over 17 years in violation of that order. He remains in ICE custody pending removal.

Owen Ramsingh, a 45-year-old legal U.S. resident with a green card, was detained at O'Hare Airport in September 2025 after Border Patrol discovered a felony drug conviction from nearly 30 years prior. His green card was revoked, and he was deported to the Netherlands in February 2026, separated from his wife and teenage daughter in Columbia, Missouri. Ramsingh, who had not lived in the Netherlands since age 5, is now adjusting to life there while learning Dutch and living with his reconnected father.

Juan Gaspar, from a village near Quetzaltenango, was deported and signed a voluntary departure agreement. He reported that officers only collected a phone number but he received no message with stipend collection details a week after his expulsion.

Karina Lozano Chiriboga, Angel Granda, and their daughter Ariana Granda Lozano were deported to Ecuador on Wednesday morning despite their asylum case being denied without a hearing. The family had fled Ecuador two years prior due to violent organized crime and were going through legal channels to seek asylum. Their initial attorney missed filing deadlines, leading a judge to vacate their case, and although they obtained a temporary stay from U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin on April 24, that order was vacated four days later. ICE ordered them to the airport for a 5:30 a.m. departure, and while they were in flight, the Bureau of Immigration Appeals accepted their appeal into the record.

Wilfredo Hoyos-Gomez, a 10-year-old Venezuelan boy, appeared alone in Houston immigration court without legal representation and faces deportation to Ecuador, a country he has never visited. His mother, Nexoli Anyis Gomez Bracho, was detained by ICE in late 2025 following a traffic stop and remains in custody at the Houston Contract Detention Facility. The mother holds a valid work permit and has a pending asylum case. With no other family in the United States, the boy's mother's former employer serves as his legal guardian. The Department of Homeland Security filed paperwork seeking the child's deportation, and Rep. Joaquin Castro called for ICE to release the mother and halt deportation proceedings against the child.

Victor Roman, co-owner of Los Guapos Latin Food in Lawrence, was detained by ICE in late April and has since been deported to Guatemala. His business and romantic partner, Lourdes E. Perez Rojo, continues operating their restaurants in Lawrence. Community members had organized a GoFundMe fundraiser and submitted character letters to support Roman's case, though the deportation proceeded.

Anna Catherine Delgado, a Venezuelan woman living in San Antonio, was detained by ICE agents on April 29, 2026, outside her residence. She was holding her 4-year-old son Isaiah when approximately eight armed agents in vests surrounded her and took her without explanation. Her husband José Rosales arrived carrying their 1-year-old daughter Hannah. Delgado and Rosales had filed for political asylum, which was denied, but she had continued attending immigration verification appointments without issue since 2020. Hannah was still breastfeeding at the time and has refused formula since her mother was taken. Delgado was transferred to Arizona and told she would be deported to Venezuela. Rosales had formally requested permission for his wife to remain in the country to begin the legal residency process, but the request had not received a response.

Ahmed Soliman, 30, a noncitizen whose family moved from Egypt to Arizona when he was 4, was deported by ICE on April 28, 2024, to Equatorial Guinea without notice. He has been detained at a decommissioned hotel in Equatorial Guinea for three months and says he is speaking out about injustices he and other deportees at the facility are facing, despite risks to his personal safety.

J.R.C., an 11-year-old from Venezuela who had lived in El Paso for nearly four years, was detained alongside his father Jesus Eduardo Reyes Hermes on April 28, 2026, when ICE agents arrested them outside their South-Central El Paso home. The boy was separated from his father and placed in shelter custody under the Office of Refugee Resettlement, while his father was transferred to Camp East Montana detention facility. J.R.C. was attending school in El Paso, where he had learned some English and was developing academically, with a teacher he credited with helping him learn to read. After his father was released on bond in June and the boy's asylum case was denied, J.R.C. requested voluntary departure on July 7, 2026, to reunite with his mother and siblings in Venezuela and Colombia. He expressed both sadness at leaving his friends and school, and excitement about seeing his family.

A 12-year-old boy in Anchorage, Alaska, faces deportation by ICE despite claims to U.S. citizenship through his father, a U.S. military service member. USCIS has refused to recognize his citizenship claim without DNA testing to establish paternity. The boy was born to a Nigerian mother and the case remains pending.

Hayam El Gamal and her five children, Egyptian citizens who entered the U.S. on B-1 visitor visas in 2022, were detained at Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas in June 2025 after overstaying their visas. The family was detained based on the alleged criminal actions of their estranged father, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who was later convicted of 101 charges including murder, though the family members were never charged with any crimes and stated they were estranged from Soliman and unaware of his plans. During nine months in detention, the family endured moldy and wormy food, inadequate medical care including failure to treat a 5-year-old's severe dental cavities, and religious freedom violations. Her 16-year-old son described the experience as "a nightmare" that made it difficult to return to normal life, writing that "nothing is normal anymore because you live in fear of going back to that place." An immigration judge granted the family bond in September 2025, but DHS appealed and obtained a stay. On April 24, 2026, a federal judge ordered their release; two days later, ICE re-arrested the family during a routine check-in at an ICE office in Denver and transported them to Denver International Airport for immediate deportation in violation of the federal court order. During transport and on a private jet, the family was subjected to verbal abuse, medical neglect, and physical restraint despite a medical emergency. Federal judges issued emergency orders blocking the removal and turning the plane around mid-air. The family was released on April 27 pending litigation on their asylum case, with electronic monitoring required as a condition of release.

Jose Angel Mireles, a 48-year-old longtime Phoenix resident, was detained by ICE at a courthouse after being cited for driving with stolen plates and deported to Mexico after two months in the Florence ICE detention center. He now lives in a migrant shelter in Nogales, Sonora, separated from his 11-year-old daughter in Phoenix. Mireles is among thousands of long-term U.S. residents removed under the Trump administration's immigration enforcement surge, which saw removals of individuals with over a decade of U.S. residency increase 42% between 2024 and 2025.

Thovatsay Phimmoungkhoun, owner of Khao Niew Lao Street Food, a food cart operating near Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The cart, known for serving Lao street food including sticky rice to PSU students, announced permanent closure following his detention. Phimmoungkhoun was transferred to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, and faces deportation to Laos. His family and supporters created a GoFundMe fundraiser to assist with his case.

Zoila Guerra Sandoval, mother of a child whose father José Mynor López died in the 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, faces deportation proceedings under the Trump administration. López was one of six construction workers killed when a cargo vessel hit the bridge. The Biden administration had provided immigration protections to about 30 people with immediate connections to the victims, but those protections are being withdrawn under the current administration.

Cristofer Ortega, 21, came to the United States as a child from Honduras and was living in Plainfield, New Jersey, studying for an HVAC certification while pursuing permanent residency through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJ). In July 2025, while visiting family in New Hampshire, federal agents in an unmarked car pulled Ortega and the driver from a vehicle at a red light at gunpoint. Despite having no criminal record and never being arrested before, Ortega was detained for over eight months at facilities in Mississippi and New Hampshire. His attorney believed the stop was racial profiling and filed a Freedom of Information Act request with ICE to determine if agents were specifically targeting Ortega; ICE claimed no records existed. Ortega filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire in November 2025 challenging his detention and removal, which included documentation of his SIJ approval. A temporary restraining order was issued in February 2026, but the case was dismissed by stipulation on April 23, 2026. Ortega was deported to Honduras on March 29, 2026, separated from his family and his future in the United States. He reported experiencing severe mental health impacts from detention, including nightmares, insomnia, and ongoing trauma related to his prior history of abandonment.

Jorge Cubillos and Carlos Rodelo, Colombian nationals who fled armed groups and extortion, were deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo despite holding legal protections including withholding of removal and Convention Against Torture (CAT) protections that prevented their return to Colombia. Cubillos, who had built a life in the U.S. over eight years and held a work permit, was physically restrained around his waist, feet, and hands for 24 hours during the deportation flight and reported feeling imprisoned upon arrival in Kinshasa. Rodelo was arrested in August 2025 and detained for eight months across multiple ICE facilities; Cubillos was held in Florida, Louisiana, and at Alexandria airport. Both were deported without formal removal orders and without being informed of their destination, health requirements, or mandatory vaccinations. At least 15 Latin American migrants were sent to Kinshasa under a U.S. agreement with the Congolese government, with deportations costing over $130,000 per person.

William Alexander Alfaro, a Honduran national with an active asylum case, was detained by ICE agents on March 18, 2026, while driving his three children to school in San Antonio, Texas. Alfaro held a valid work permit and driver's license and was in compliance with the asylum process. He was arrested at Crosspoint, an ICE check-in and processing facility in San Antonio, as he arrived for a scheduled appointment. During approximately one month in ICE detention, Alfaro was not treated for a knee tumor requiring emergency surgery. He was deported to Honduras without receiving the scheduled medical procedure, likely resulting in amputation. His wife, who witnessed the initial detention, now fears she will be targeted for deportation, which would leave their three U.S. citizen children in San Antonio without parents.

Brian José Morales García, a 25-year-old born in Denver, Colorado, was stopped by Border Patrol agents near Fredericksburg, Texas on April 7, 2026. During the traffic stop, Morales repeatedly asserted his U.S. citizenship and stated he had his birth certificate and Social Security card available to verify his status, but agents refused to examine his documentation and accused him of fraud. Fearing prolonged detention and separation from his wife and newborn daughter, Morales signed voluntary removal papers after being held for five days. He was deported to Mexico on April 9, 2026. His attorneys filed a federal lawsuit and provided copies of his birth certificate and Denver hospital records documenting his birth in Colorado. The Department of Homeland Security disputed his citizenship claim and alleged he admitted to entering the country illegally.

Walter Marcelino Chao was deported by the U.S. government to Lima, Peru, resulting in separation from his young daughter Ashley, who no longer recognizes him. The child, who had lived with her father in Miami Gardens, now refuses to acknowledge him during video calls and has become withdrawn. The family was unable to prevent the deportation despite pleas to authorities.

A 16-year-old identified as "Elias" in court filings was deported to Guatemala without a removal order or any attempt to obtain one, according to a pending lawsuit filed in the District of Columbia. His lawyers argue that "this removal was lawless: Defendants had no removal order for Elias, nor did they even attempt to obtain one." The case follows a similar pattern to Mario Mata Cruz's deportation and is part of a broader pattern documented by lawyers across the country of noncitizens being deported without final removal orders from immigration judges.

Louis Duxbury, a Gadsden County resident from the United Kingdom, was ordered deported after spending months in ICE custody. He was arrested for overstaying his visa following a social media investigation that did not result in criminal charges. The case comes amid a surge in immigration arrests across Florida, with over 36,000 arrests reported since the start of 2025.

A 23-year-old South American woman was deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo after being detained in Louisiana for 15 months by ICE. An immigration judge had previously granted her protection from removal to her home country after she claimed persecution based on her LGBTQ+ status. Despite a federal magistrate judge's recommendation for her release in a lawsuit filed in December, she was deported before a district judge could approve the recommendation as part of a third-country deportation agreement.

Marie-Thérèse Ross, an 86-year-old French citizen and widow, was arrested by ICE agents on April 1, 2026, at her home in Anniston, Alabama, for overstaying her 90-day tourist visa. Ross had entered the U.S. in June 2025 on a Visa Waiver Program to marry William Ross, a retired U.S. military veteran whom she had known since the 1950s after meeting him while he was stationed at a NATO base in France. After her husband died unexpectedly in January 2026, she fell out of legal status and became involved in a contested probate dispute with her late husband's stepsons over his estate. She was handcuffed at her home and transferred to an immigration detention facility in Basile, Louisiana, where she was held for 16 days in dormitory conditions with approximately 58-70 other women. Despite suffering from pre-existing heart and back problems, she experienced deteriorating health during detention and reported post-traumatic stress symptoms. An Alabama judge noted that her stepson, a former state trooper and federal employee, may have used his position to prompt her detention. Following intervention by the French foreign minister and the French Consul General, who visited her twice and coordinated with U.S. officials, Ross was released and returned to France.

Maria, a 29-year-old woman, fled Colombia in January 2024 after being kidnapped and tortured by the FARC rebel group and abused by her ex-husband, a police officer. In May 2025, a U.S. immigration judge found she would more likely than not be tortured if deported to Colombia and granted her protection under the Convention Against Torture. While held in Louisiana, she learned only the day before her transfer that she was being sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and said she objected up until boarding the plane. ICE took her identity documents and passport, leaving her unable to travel, and she was given seven days upon arrival to decide whether to accept a voluntary return to Colombia despite the risks she faces there.

A Dominican man was deported from Baltimore after his family paid approximately $9,000 to a fraudulent individual posing as an immigration attorney. The family believed they were paying to resolve the man's legal status, but the money was lost to fraud. When the irregularity was discovered, the immigration proceedings collapsed and the man was deported.

Daniel Torres, a Chicago-area man, self-deported to Mexico due to concerns about his immigration status and federal enforcement. He left behind his dog, Coffee, who was brought to animal control in February. Animal rescue organizations, including Microchip Hunters and Border Tails Rescue, used the dog's microchip to locate Torres through social media and coordinated the transportation of Coffee to Mexico, where the two were reunited.

Miguel Lopez, who lived in the U.S. for over 27 years, was deported to Mexico in 2025 after appearing at a San Francisco courthouse for a routine immigration check-in. A federal judge dismissed his civil case on April 3, 2026, finding it time-barred under the six-year statute of limitations, but Lopez's attorney plans to appeal to the Ninth Circuit. Judge Trina Thompson acknowledged in her decision the "bureaucratic labyrinth" of immigration law and the "generational trauma" the ruling will cause Lopez's family. The appeal represents his remaining legal pathway to return to his wife and three children.

Yelitza Perez, a 29-year-old Venezuelan mother of two, spent weeks attempting to voluntarily return to Venezuela through the CBP Home app following her husband's deportation. She initially registered for voluntary departure but faced multiple obstacles, including lack of required Venezuelan travel documentation and airline verification issues. After being denied boarding at Miami International Airport in early April, she obtained a salvoconducto (safe pass) from Venezuelan authorities. Faith-based organizations including Hermanos de la Calle and Discerning Deacons provided shelter and assistance during her stay. Perez and her daughters successfully departed for Venezuela in mid-April after obtaining the required travel documentation.

Carlos Rodelo, a 43-year-old Colombian from Barranquilla who fled extortion in his home country, was granted Convention Against Torture (CAT) protection by a federal judge, which should have prevented his deportation to an unsafe third country. On April 13, 2026, despite his CAT protection and a pending habeas corpus challenge, Rodelo was held at Alexandria airport without food for several hours while shackled, then forcibly deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a Trump Administration third-country deportation agreement. Rodelo, who had diabetes and other medical conditions, described conditions in Congo as restrictive and felt like a prisoner despite being told he was free. He subsequently returned to Colombia through the International Organization for Migration's Assisted Voluntary Return program. The Department of Homeland Security asserted he had violated the terms of his parole. Rodelo was part of the first group of 15 Latin Americans deported to the DRC under the agreement.

A 23-year-old Honduran man granted legal status and work authorization under a federal court settlement for families separated by the Trump administration's zero tolerance policy was arrested by ICE in October 2025 after Louisiana wildlife officers reported him for target shooting in a protected area. Despite possessing valid immigration documents and parole status, he was detained for over five months and issued a deportation order on January 6, 2026. At least 25 other people with similar legal protections have been detained or deported by ICE in recent months. The government has also imposed new $1,000-per-person fees and canceled contracts with legal service providers, violating the terms of the federal settlement agreement. The ACLU filed a motion for his release on April 1, 2026.

The Trump administration revoked the lawful permanent resident status of several Iranian nationals and detained them via ICE enforcement actions in Los Angeles starting in early April 2026. Detainees included Seyed Eissa Hashemi, his wife Maryam Tahmasebi, their son Seyed Mobin Hashemi, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny, and Dr. Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, a researcher removed from her position at Emory University. The Hashemi family were relatives of Masoumeh Ebtekar, who served as spokeswoman during the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran. Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were claimed to be relatives of slain Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, though both women and Soleimani's family denied any familial connection. Soleimani Afshar, who suffers from a severe blood disorder, was denied medical treatment while detained. Secretary Marco Rubio announced the coordinated enforcement action, stating the individuals should not have been permitted lawful permanent resident status given their connections to the Iranian government.