Human Impact Project

Jacob Zapeta Castro, a Guatemalan immigrant and owner of El Quetzal bakery in Lake Worth Beach, was arrested by ICE and Florida Highway Patrol on July 9, 2026, after a traffic stop attempt. Approximately 25 to 30 federal and state officers surrounded his bakery for hours. His teenage children, ages 13 and 15, were present during the operation and were questioned by officers; family members and advocates described the children as being used as leverage to force his surrender. ICE alleged Zapeta Castro had prior deportations and a criminal history including DUI arrests, hit and run, and resisting law enforcement, and claimed he attempted to ram an ICE vehicle before fleeing into the bakery. However, his family, coworkers, and community advocates disputed these characterizations, describing him as hardworking and tax-paying. Employee Gilmer Zapeta, who has worked for Jacob for three years, stated that Jacob voluntarily surrendered. Community advocate Mariana Blanco of the Guatemalan Maya Center confirmed Zapeta Castro held a valid work permit and driver's license. Officers cited a federal offense of illegal re-entry after prior deportation.

Karina Alvarez San Juan, a Mexican national who has lived in the U.S. since age 12, was arrested during a traffic stop in Florida on May 6, 2026, for an allegedly broken taillight. She is the mother of four U.S. citizen children and was nursing her youngest child, born on January 7, 2026, at the time of her arrest. ICE transferred her to South Louisiana Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana, where she remained detained for over three months. Her attorney Michelle Borton reported that conditions at the facility were inadequate, with detainees lacking sufficient clean water for basic hygiene including bathing and flushing toilets. San Juan alleged due process violations, including a cancelled bond hearing and a denied emergency motion without explanation. On July 8-9, 2026, U.S. District Judge David C. Joseph, a Trump appointee, ordered ICE to release her within five business days after finding that the agency violated its own Directive 11032.4, which prohibits detention of postpartum and nursing mothers unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist. ICE officials stated they had no additional evidence to justify her continued detention.

Owen Ramsingh, a Netherlands native who arrived in the United States at age 5 in 1986 and held a green card for over 40 years, was detained by ICE at Chicago's O'Hare Airport in November 2025 based on decades-old drug convictions from 1997 and 2011. He was deported to the Netherlands in February 2026 after months in detention, receiving a lifetime ban from the United States. Ramsingh had been living in Columbia, Missouri with his wife Diana and daughter, working in property management and security at local venues. After finding conditions in the Netherlands difficult, Ramsingh and his family relocated to Mexico to be closer to U.S.-based friends and relatives while his wife pursues remote work opportunities, unable to visit his daughter's gravesite in the United States. Owen Ramsingh, a long-term green card holder who immigrated to the U.S. at age 5 in 1986, was detained by ICE at Chicago airport on September 30 while returning from a family visit to the Netherlands. DHS cited prior drug-related convictions from 1997 and 2011 as justification for his detention. Ramsingh, who had worked in property management and security at music venues in Columbia, Missouri, was held in ICE custody in Texas and New Mexico. In December, a New Mexico judge issued him a lifetime ban from the U.S., and he was deported to the Netherlands in February. Unable to secure housing or viable visa options in the Netherlands, Ramsingh and his family have since relocated to Mexico, where they are working on obtaining residency and rebuilding their lives closer to family and friends.

Micaela Mendez Sandiz, a 16-year-old from Chiapas, Mexico, contacted her family on July 8 to report that she and her cousin were traveling through the desert. She was abandoned in serious health condition, reporting lack of water and inability to continue. Her cousin is reportedly detained. The family is seeking information about Micaela's whereabouts.

Maisa Lopes Eliaser, a 32-year-old Brazilian national with no criminal record, was detained by ICE on July 8, 2026, during a scheduled green card adjustment-of-status interview in Montgomery, Alabama. She is married to Staff Sergeant Alexis Jaramillo, an active-duty Army soldier of 11 years. Lopes Eliaser legally entered the U.S. on June 18, 2019, with authorization to remain until December 2019, but overstayed her visa. She had previously applied for asylum and later sought permanent residency through marriage; her green card petition had been approved before her detention. Immigration officials indicated she missed a biometrics appointment related to her asylum case, resulting in a removal order from an immigration judge on April 15, 2026. She is currently held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana. Jaramillo stated he feels "betrayed" by the detention, believing the family was completing the legal process for her permanent residency. The detention has caused panic attacks for Jaramillo and emotional distress for their young stepson. Her case is now before the Board of Immigration Appeals.

Army Staff Sgt. Alexis Jaramillo, who has served in the Army for more than a decade, was forced to take administrative leave from his job training soldiers at Fort Polk, Louisiana after his Brazilian wife, Maisa Lopes Eliaser, was detained by ICE in early July 2026 following a missed asylum appointment. Eliaser is being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana and faces deportation. Jaramillo now cares alone for their 5-year-old son, Noah, who is missing his mother. Jaramillo said the situation is "really overwhelming" without family support and emphasized that his wife "is not a criminal" and is "trying to do the right thing to get a better life." He has applied for legal protections available to spouses of active-duty service members. Immigration attorney Aaron Cash noted that while some protections exist for military spouses, "ICE or whomever seems to be ignoring that these days." Jaramillo's case is one of at least 52 parents and spouses of active-duty service members detained since Trump took office for a second term.

A landscaper identified in the article as Luis was arrested during an ICE enforcement operation on July 8 in Marietta while working at a construction site. He is the father of a 5-year-old son. His family struggled to cope with his sudden absence and the lack of information about his whereabouts or status. His family members have faced difficulty accessing resources and information about him, and are uncertain about his future.

Jovanny de Jesús Pineda left his home early on July 8 to go to a landscaping job with two colleagues when immigration agents stopped him. His wife, Luz Tagle, said a neighbor alerted her that immigration was in the area and she tried to warn him by phone. "The second he picked up he said, 'Immigration caught me,'" Tagle told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Spanish. Pineda is now detained at ICE Stewart Detention Center in South Georgia.

Cindy, a mother of four from Honduras, was detained by ICE for seven months following a routine traffic stop. After her release, she faced compounding legal and financial hardship: unable to pay a traffic ticket during her detention, she missed a court appearance and a warrant was issued. With legal assistance, the warrant was resolved, but ICE seized her documentation, requiring her to spend additional funds obtaining copies to resume work. Seven months of lost income left her family in severe financial distress.

A man was detained by ICE during a late-night traffic stop on Collins Hill Road in Lawrenceville, Georgia, while returning home with his teenage daughter Evelyn. Officers provided no explanation for the detention and left Evelyn, a minor, unattended at the scene. Evelyn describes her father as a hardworking provider who supports the family's bills and daily expenses. The family is seeking financial assistance to secure his release.

Carlos Hugo Betancur, a 52-year-old Colombian national, was detained by ICE on July 8, 2026, while pumping gas at a Marathon station in Doral on his way to work. An immigration officer approached him from behind, asked for identification, and detained him after he provided his Florida driver's license. Betancur had filed a political asylum application in January 2023 and possessed both an employment authorization card and a Florida driver's license. He spent 8 days at the Miramar Processing Center and 8 days at Krome Detention Center before being released on electronic monitoring. At Miramar, he described severe overcrowding, with 93 to 104 detainees held in a single room with insufficient space for everyone to sit or sleep simultaneously. His daughter, Maria Alejandra Betancur, disputed the detention, noting he had valid asylum and work authorization documents. He is now required to wear an ankle monitor while his immigration case proceeds before an immigration judge.

Federal immigration enforcement in the San Antonio region has intensified, with ICE data showing nearly 1,500 arrests since January 2025. The arrests include approximately 900 people with criminal convictions, over 400 facing pending criminal charges, and about 140 accused of other immigration violations. Local families report increased pressure and concern, particularly after recent enforcement operations at Hardberger Park and plans for a new ICE detention facility on the East Side. One woman described her husband's arrest after he and coworkers were stopped while leaving a city work site, noting that workers have become targets at job locations.

Ulises Peña López, a 30-year-old Mexican carpenter living in Sunnyvale, California, with severe pre-existing medical conditions including a mini-stroke, blood clot in his neck, heart condition, spinal disorder, and knee injuries, was arrested by ICE agents on February 21, 2025. According to a federal lawsuit filed by Disability Law United and Pangea Legal Services, ICE agents smashed his car window and physically assaulted him during the arrest, beating him in an alleyway until he lost consciousness and requiring CPR, with his wife Aby and young daughter witnessing the assault. He was hospitalized and allegedly shackled to his bed. His wife told Telemundo: "He can't feel half of his face, it's numb, as well as his right hand and arm, and right now he feels tingling in his right leg and foot." During eight months in ICE detention at facilities operated by GeoGroup and CoreCivic, he allegedly received inadequate medical care, was denied disability accommodations and necessary medication, and was mocked by staff. He was deported to Mexico in October 2025. His wife Aby and daughter, both U.S. citizens, have joined him in filing the lawsuit against DHS, ICE, GEO Group, and CoreCivic, raising claims of civil rights violations, Fifth Amendment due process violations, disability rights violations, and state law accountability claims under California's Accountability in Detention Act. His wife Aby was subsequently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Leodegario was detained by ICE while traveling to work and is currently in immigration detention facing deportation to Mexico, a country where he has not lived for 30 years. He is a father of five children and husband who has worked to provide for his family and is known in his community for his generosity and willingness to help others. His family is fundraising for legal representation and living expenses as they fight to keep him in the United States and prevent family separation.

Anselmo Esquivel was detained by ICE on a Monday morning and is being held in Tacoma, Washington. His family describes him as a hardworking and generous man. The detention has been devastating for his entire family, who are seeking financial support during this difficult time.

Savannah Eric's father was detained during a routine ICE check-in and subsequently deported after more than 22 years living in the United States. He had no criminal convictions and consistently complied with all immigration requirements. The family has been separated for a year and is raising funds to travel and reunite with him.

Mario Bojorjes, a North Liberty construction worker and father of three with a pending permanent residency case, was detained by ICE on July 7 after an Iowa State Trooper stopped him on Interstate 80 for a window tint violation. During the traffic stop, the trooper conducted an immigration inquiry that led to Bojorjes' arrest. He has no criminal record and was his family's primary source of income. Bojorjes is currently being held on an ICE hold at the Linn County Jail.

A Venezuelan family of three — father Freddys Padilla Revilla, pregnant mother Edgarianny Gervis, and their 7-year-old daughter — say they have been held at the Dilley Detention Center for over a month after attempting to self-deport to Venezuela. The couple had lived legally in Pecos, Texas for three years, working and maintaining ICE check-ins, and sought to leave voluntarily after discovering Edgarianny was pregnant. They say that at a July 6 ICE check-in appointment, after signing forms waiving their rights and withdrawing their appeal, they were arrested and transferred to Dilley instead of being sent home. The family says Edgarianny has not received proper medical care or an ultrasound, and their daughter has said she 'wants to die' while detained, prompting them to seek help from Sen. Katie Britt.

Javier Cortez Sanchez, a hardworking father and husband with a valid work permit, was detained by ICE in Joliet after being mistaken for another person. He is the primary financial provider for his family and has left behind a young son who asks daily when his father will return. His family is struggling with his absence and seeking legal support to bring him home, as Javier experiences depression and despair in detention.

Kubanych, a community interpreter, was detained by ICE in October 2025 while interpreting for another asylum seeker at California City Detention Center in Delano, California. After 8 months of detention, community advocacy efforts secured his release. He has since been reunited with his wife and four young children in Kyrgyzstan. During his detention, he experienced abuse and malnourishment, losing 40 pounds, and was denied care for serious health conditions.

A 74-year-old grandfather was detained by ICE on June 12 while traveling to work in the Magnolia Boulevard area of Riverside, California. His family described him as a dedicated provider and caregiver who has consistently worked to support his family and grandchildren over the years. The family launched fundraising efforts on GoFundMe and Instagram to raise bail and support costs needed to secure his release and help him reunite with his family.

Ignacio Carrizalez, a Mexican national with work authorization and an active citizenship application, was detained by ICE agents on April 28, 2026, after Evans City Police stopped his vehicle for an expired registration. ICE agents surrounded his car, and after he refused to answer questions about his citizenship status, he was taken to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County. His wife, Amanda Smail-Carrizalez, a U.S. citizen, reported agents removed him "violently" from the vehicle. While detained, Carrizalez missed a scheduled permanent residency hearing on June 1st, and an immigration judge subsequently ordered him to either self-deport or be deported. On June 26, 2026, he was unexpectedly released after more than two months in custody, just before he was scheduled to be transferred to a facility in Mexico, with his deportation date postponed to September 2026. His wife testified before Butler County Commissioners about the financial and psychological toll on their six-year-old daughter with autism, who experienced nightmares, and the family applied for public assistance following his arrest.

Ricardo, a father described by his family as a loving and hardworking provider, was detained by ICE agents on July 4th in Phelan, San Bernardino County, California. According to a family social media post, he was taken by masked agents on Saturday morning. His daughter Naydelin created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for immigration legal fees, bond if available, and household bills to support the family during his detention.

Johan Sandoval, a 22-year-old Dominican Republic native and baseball standout at Savannah State University, was detained by ICE agents on July 3, 2026, outside his girlfriend's apartment complex in Clifton Park, New York. Sandoval, who entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2022, was pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration on a full athletic scholarship and had recently been named MVP of the 2026 HBCU Baseball All-Star Game. According to his girlfriend Adriana Wade, ICE agents blocked his car as he was leaving for the gym and followed him to the apartment door; during the encounter, his phone was broken and his state ID was lost. DHS stated that Sandoval's F-1 student visa was terminated in April 2025 after he failed to adhere to visa requirements. He was held at ICE's Buffalo Service Processing Center pending removal proceedings. His family launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $12,000 for legal representation, and Savannah State's president Dr. Jermaine Whirl worked with the family and an immigration attorney to secure his release.

Hebert Kaleth Ibarra Castro, a 20-year-old mariachi musician, was arrested by ICE on June 25, 2026, at a traffic stop in China Grove, Texas, while returning from a musical performance in his mariachi outfit. Castro arrived in the U.S. at age 4 on a B-2 visa fleeing violence in Mexico; ICE claims he entered illegally, though his wife states the visa expired in 2020. He was detained at a South Texas ICE facility where he remained in his mariachi attire for nearly 18 hours before being allowed to change clothes. ICE agents allegedly mocked and discriminated against him because of his traditional mariachi clothing. While in custody on July 4, Castro performed 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' His wife, Marisol Pantosi, is a U.S. citizen and filed his green card application shortly before his detention. State and federal lawmakers, including State Rep. Barbara Garvin Hawkins and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, have publicly called for his release, and mariachi artists nationwide have rallied to demand his freedom.

Arturo, a 48-year-old Mexican man, was arrested by ICE on Sunday while driving to a soccer game in Salt Lake City. His wife Veronica reported that the family was not expecting to be caught in the enforcement sweep, having no criminal record and paying taxes yearly. Their 13-year-old son was traumatized by the arrest. DHS stated that Arturo had illegally reentered the United States and would be held for deportation. The arrest occurred during an ICE surge in which the agency detained more than 10,000 people in five days following orders to increase arrest rates.

Oxana's father was detained by ICE and deported to Peru after living in the United States for 36 years. He has just arrived in Peru and is struggling to meet basic living expenses as he rebuilds his life in a country where he has no established support system. His family, now separated by thousands of miles, created a GoFundMe to help him cover food, hygiene items, clothing, transportation, and other daily necessities during this transition.

A lawful permanent resident with a valid green card was unexpectedly detained by ICE at an airport in Michigan while returning home from a family vacation. He has lived in the United States since childhood. He is now facing immigration proceedings that could separate him from his home and family. His supporters are fundraising for legal representation to help him fight his case.

Seyo Cecunjanin, a West Hartford restaurant and laundry business owner from Montenegro, was arrested by ICE on June 20, 2026, in a Dunkin' Donuts parking lot surrounded by five unmarked vehicles while with two of his sons. He was detained at Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, Rhode Island for approximately 12 days. Cecunjanin entered the U.S. in 1997 using a fraudulent passport and had an outstanding removal order, but had been permitted to reenter in 2024 and maintained valid work authorization at the time of his arrest. He owns two restaurants and a laundry business employing 15 people and has a pending permanent resident application filed in September 2023. U.S. Rep. John Larson and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, along with other members of Connecticut's congressional delegation, held a press conference and sent letters to ICE demanding his release, citing his valid work authorization and pending immigration case. Cecunjanin was released on June 26, 2026 (or July 2, 2026 according to another account).

Jose Acosta, an undocumented immigrant from Honduras awaiting a green card decision, was detained by Springdale Borough police and ICE on July 2 while seated in his parked truck outside a job site. ICE and Springdale police were conducting joint field operations under a 287(g) task force agreement signed in November. Acosta had lived in the country since 2018 without incident except for a 2023 traffic stop. His wife, Yaquelin Vasques, is raising their three children while he faces potential deportation.

An unidentified man was detained by ICE in White Center, Seattle on July 2, 2026. According to a social media account, he was taken into custody from a vehicle while his young daughter was in the backseat. The man's mother arrived to take the child, and bystanders reported she told ICE officers the family had immigration paperwork, but he was detained anyway. Neighbors gathered at the scene, using whistles, recording, and calling 911 in response to the enforcement action.

A mother and her child were detained by ICE agents in Houston, Texas on July 2, 2026. According to the post, ICE agents used two vehicles to stop the mother's car in a parking lot near an apartment complex around 2:30 p.m. A video of the incident shows the child pleading for help as her mother was taken into custody.

Liliana, a mother of two U.S.-based children, was detained by ICE during a routine check-in in May 2017 and subsequently deported to El Salvador despite intensive advocacy efforts by immigrant rights organizations in the Washington, DC metro area, including press conferences and intervention from elected officials. The article documents her struggle to rebuild her life as a deportee facing violence, unemployment, and social stigmatization in El Salvador.

Arturo, a 48-year-old Mexican man, was arrested by ICE in Salt Lake City on Sunday, June 30, 2026, while on his way to a soccer game. His wife Veronica reported the arrest shattered their family. According to immigration attorney Ysabel Lonazco in Utah, the detention occurred during a broader ICE enforcement surge in late June.

A Nicaraguan father of two children was arrested by ICE during a routine check-in appointment on Monday, despite having an immigration court hearing already scheduled for 2027, according to his immigration attorney Cindy Blandon in Miami. The arrest occurred during a surge in which ICE detained more than 10,000 people over five days following White House directives to increase enforcement operations.

Victor Luna Lopez, a Mexican national residing in the U.S. since 2004, was detained by ICE while working as a roofer after agents observed workers on a private property roof using a drone and conducted document verification. Luna Lopez holds military parole status due to his daughter's active service in the U.S. military, which his family and attorney argue should protect him from detention. He is being held at El Valle Detention Center while his family pursues legal action and public support for his release.

Adimando Hernandez Cortez, a citizen of Mexico, has lived continuously in the United States for approximately thirty years, since his entry around 1996. He is married to a U.S. citizen spouse, and together they have a 14-year-old U.S. citizen son who has learning disabilities. He has no criminal history and no final order of removal. On July 1, 2026, he was arrested and detained by ICE and was held without a bond hearing at the Pike County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania. He filed a habeas corpus petition arguing that his detention under the mandatory detention provision of 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b) was unlawful because that provision applies only to noncitizens actively seeking admission, not longtime residents, who are instead subject to the discretionary detention provision, 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which entitles them to a bond hearing. On July 30, 2026, Judge Robert D. Mariani of the Middle District of Pennsylvania granted the petition, ordered the government to immediately release him, and permanently enjoined the government from detaining him under § 1225(b) absent a compelling change in circumstances, while requiring notice and a timely individualized bond hearing for any future detention under § 1226(a).

Jesús Bracho, a San Antonio father, and his 9-year-old daughter Katherine, a student at Bonnie Ellison Elementary School, were detained near Loop 410 and U.S. Highway 90 on July 1, 2026. Bracho maintains he was released from ICE custody in order to lure his daughter into custody with him, and the two are now held at the Dilley detention center. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro visited them and said Bracho was moved to tears with guilt, believing he was the reason his daughter was detained.

S, a Nigerian Christian, came to the United States in 2001 and applied for asylum based on her fear of religious persecution. A U.S. immigration judge found she would be persecuted if returned to Nigeria and granted her withholding of removal. She is the primary breadwinner for her four U.S. citizen children and her husband, who is disabled. At a routine ICE check-in in Los Angeles in July 2026, she was arrested, detained, and summarily deported to Ghana, separating her from her family and the country she called home for 25 years. Within 24 hours of her arrival, Ghanaian authorities refouled her to Nigeria, where she fears the persecution she fled.

Joel Anderson Sandoval Espinoza, a citizen of Peru, entered the United States on June 9, 2023, and has lived and worked in the country since then, employed in the A/C mechanics and warehouse industry while paying taxes and contributing to his community. He has two toddlers who are United States citizens. After presenting himself at a port of entry and expressing fear of returning to Peru, he passed a credible fear interview and was paroled into the country to pursue asylum, with his asylum application still pending in ongoing removal proceedings. On July 1, 2026, DHS detained him after he left his local DMV office, and he argued his parole and liberty had been unlawfully revoked without notice or justification. He was held at the Denver Contract Detention Facility and filed a habeas petition seeking immediate release or, alternatively, a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). The court found he was improperly subject to mandatory detention under § 1225(b)(2), citing prior rulings and a Tenth Circuit decision limiting that provision's application to noncitizens detained at the border. The court granted the habeas petition, ordered his immediate release without conditions such as GPS monitoring, enjoined his re-arrest absent a clear-and-convincing-evidence bond hearing, and denied his TRO/preliminary injunction motion as moot.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained 15 people during raids in Bloomington-Normal from July 1-3, 2026, according to the Immigration Project. The detainees had entered the United States legally from Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador, and Guatemala. Most were apprehended at their workplaces throughout the community. About half were described as long-term residents, while others had recently arrived. Many had been granted humanitarian parole under the Biden administration or had applied for asylum; a few had pending family petitions. One detainee was unaware of a missed immigration court date and was ordered deported in absentia. The raids separated families and caused significant emotional and financial hardship, particularly for families whose primary breadwinner was detained. One detainee was denied a breathing machine while in confinement. The detentions are part of a nationwide ICE enforcement effort that reportedly captured more than 10,000 people during a five-day period.

Fatima Eminzada, a 24-year-old citizen of Azerbaijan, was detained by ICE on April 4, 2026, and transferred to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana. She is pregnant in her first trimester with medical complications including hypothyroidism, possible UTI, and mild anemia. After bond was denied at a redetermination hearing on May 14, 2026, and an immigration judge denied her renewed motion for bond on June 12, 2026, she filed a federal habeas corpus petition on June 25, 2026, represented by attorneys Logan Joseph Duplessis and Giedre Stasiunaite. On July 1, 2026, the court issued a temporary restraining order and ordered ICE respondents to file a medical-status report addressing her current medical conditions, treatment, and access to medical care, with the deadline extended to July 13, 2026.

On July 1, 2026, Bozeman resident Brandi Straub was driving near Camp Equinox summer theater camp when ICE agents conducting enforcement operations pursued suspects across the street. An ICE agent pointed a gun through Straub's passenger side window as she braked to avoid an enforcement vehicle. Straub's 12-year-old daughter and a neighbor's 11-year-old were attending the camp, located three blocks away with approximately 120 children present. When Straub called 911 to alert authorities to the nearby ICE operation, dispatch informed her that local police could not intervene in ICE operations. The school had not been informed of the enforcement activity taking place in the area.

David Cortes-Torres, a 20-year-old man and primary caregiver for his grandmother who is undergoing cancer treatment, was detained by ICE agents in Bozeman on Monday. According to a federal habeas corpus petition filed by Upper Seven Law, agents held him for more than 24 hours at Helena Airport in a small holding room with over 15 other people, pressured him to voluntarily leave the country, and limited his attorney contact to a single three-minute phone call. His lawyers allege the arrest was part of an operation targeting Latinos in the area, and a federal judge ordered him to remain in Montana pending a hearing set for the following Tuesday.

Rigoberto Santillan-Quiroz, a long-term U.S. resident married to a legal permanent resident and stepfather to a U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE following a traffic stop in late 2025. He was held for eight months without a bond hearing under a Trump administration policy that categorically denied bond hearings to noncitizens who entered without authorization. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled the detention policy unlawful, finding it violated due process rights by denying individualized review. The court ordered Santillan-Quiroz's release and reinstatement of bond hearing eligibility, reversing a district court decision and reaffirming that noncitizens have had bond hearing rights for nearly 30 years.

A mother was detained by ICE agents on June 29 while walking to a store to buy groceries for her family. Her family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for her legal defense, including paying for an ICE custody analyst and legal team to track her intake, pull her records, and analyze her custody status.

A man from the Dominican Republic was arrested by ICE agents at an immigration court at 290 Broadway in Lower Manhattan on Thursday, June 26, 2026. The man had fled persecution in his home country, entered the U.S., and was released from detention while his immigration case proceeded. He appeared at court as legally required for his scheduled hearing. ICE cited a conviction for trespassing as justification, but advocates with Make the Road New York argue the arrest violates a federal court order issued May 18, 2026, that barred ICE from making arrests at Manhattan immigration courts except in narrow circumstances. The man has since been transferred to ICE's Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey.

Margarita Melgar, a mother from Honduras who had lived in the U.S. for 12 years, was given a choice by immigration agents: be detained indefinitely or self-deport. She chose to self-deport and left for Honduras on Sunday, taking her 10-year-old daughter Katherin, a U.S. citizen who has never been to Honduras. Her two older daughters, ages 17 and 20, remained in the United States. Margarita had fled Honduras after facing extreme violence. The family said goodbye at Logan Airport, with her eldest daughter Damary, a college student, remaining in Boston.

Laura, a mother of four children including a 2-week-old newborn, is in immigration detention facing deportation proceedings. She has lived in the United States since age 9 and has no criminal record. Her children are being cared for by their grandmother while Laura's case moves through the legal system. The family is seeking financial support for food, childcare, rent, legal expenses, and other necessities while Laura is detained.

On June 24-26, 2026, the US deported approximately 146 Venezuelans, including minors, on a repatriation flight to Venezuela. The deportees were placed in Hotel Santuario (also called Hotel El Santuario) in La Guaira while undergoing repatriation processing. Within hours, twin earthquakes struck Venezuela with magnitude and force sufficient to collapse the hotel. At least 2,200 people were killed and 50,000 reported missing across the country. Among the deportees, some were killed, others severely injured with amputations, and many remain unaccounted for. Families gathered outside the hotel rubble searching for information, hampered by limited rescue access and unclear communication from authorities.