Human Impact Project

Adrian Mendoza, an Ecuadoran man who fled persecution in 2023, was detained during an ICE raid at a food manufacturing plant in the Kansas City area. His wife, Aylin Castro, was not notified by ICE and learned of his detention through social media when agents detained eight people at the facility. Castro told KCUR 893 that the last message she received from Mendoza came as he said goodbye, telling her he loved her and thanking her for breakfast she had packed in his lunchbox.

Two construction workers from National City were arrested by federal immigration agents around 7 a.m. on July 17, 2026, outside a residential construction site in Cardiff. According to a co-worker, the brothers have worked at construction sites for nearly two decades. One is married with two children; his son is now an adult aspiring to become an architect. The arrest occurred quietly and quickly in unmarked vehicles, with some neighbors unaware of what happened despite being nearby. The workers' silver Nissan Frontier was left abandoned at the scene with their equipment and lunch still inside.

Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25- or 26-year-old Colombian national with legal work authorization, was fatally shot by ICE officer David Brouillette on July 13, 2026, during a mistaken traffic stop near a laundromat in Biddeford, Maine. He was working an early-morning DoorDash delivery shift when agents conducting surveillance on a different address approached his vehicle and fired five shots through the windshield, with his 3-year-old daughter witnessing the shooting. DHS said the vehicle attempted to flee and the officer fired fearing for public safety, a claim disputed by witnesses; Sen. Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed Guerrero was not the intended target. He lived with his partner Karolina Rojas and also worked as a veterinary clinic cleaner; she described him as 'a hard worker devoted to his family' who 'always dreamed big' for their daughter. His death prompted hundreds of protesters to gather and led to inquiries by the Maine Attorney General's Office, the FBI, and the DHS Office of Inspector General, with Democratic lawmakers, including Congressman Bennie Thompson, calling for an investigation into the officer's hiring history.

ICE agents arrested two noncitizens during a targeted enforcement operation in Morristown on July 16, 2026. Marlon Portillo-Masariegos, a Honduran national, was arrested; DHS stated he had been deported twice previously (in June 2018 and September 2018) and had re-entered the country illegally. Eduardo Alonso Guaido Bracho, a Venezuelan national, was also arrested; DHS said he had entered the U.S. illegally in 2024 and had been issued a final removal order on June 3, 2025. Morristown police director Michael Corcoran said ICE agents arrived in unmarked vehicles around 6 p.m. without advance notice and detained several individuals. Residents reported seeing ICE agents chase a young man on foot through backyards.

ICE agents conducted a targeted enforcement operation at the SouthShore Hotel construction site in Bemidji, Minnesota, on July 16, 2026, around 11:20 a.m. When agents arrived, several construction workers fled the job site, and at least one man ran into Lake Bemidji, swimming about 100 yards offshore in an attempt to escape. ICE agents removed him from the water, handcuffed him, and took him into custody, transporting him in an unmarked van. The worker was employed by a subcontractor hired for the hotel's remodeling project; his identity and immigration status were not disclosed. Bemidji Police Department responded to calls about people entering the lake as a public safety concern but was not involved in the enforcement action itself. Lakeside Management, Inc., the hotel's property management company, said it was unaware of any workers lacking legal work authorization.

ChongLy 'Scott' Thao, a 56-year-old naturalized Hmong American U.S. citizen with no criminal record, was forcibly removed from his St. Paul home by ICE agents on January 18, 2026. Agents broke down his front door at gunpoint without a warrant and led him outside in sub-freezing conditions wearing only underwear and a blanket. Thao, who has severe psoriasis worsened by cold and stress, was held for over two hours, driven to an undisclosed location where he was photographed in the cold, then returned home after agents realized he was a U.S. citizen. ICE claimed agents were executing a warrant seeking two convicted sex offenders with ties to the property, but Thao stated he had never seen those men and they did not live with him; the Minnesota Department of Corrections later confirmed one of the wanted men was still imprisoned. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher announced in April 2026 they are investigating the incident as potential kidnapping, burglary, and false imprisonment. Thao's family is working with the ACLU of Minnesota and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office to pursue legal action.

A 30-year-old man from Morocco who entered the U.S. on a visa in 2025 was detained by ICE and State Department Diplomatic Security Service agents on Woolsey Street in Berkeley. According to ICE, he later violated the terms of his visa. The operation was conducted on June 9, 2026, without notification to Berkeley city officials or police, despite the city's sanctuary policy prohibiting police cooperation with immigration enforcement. The person was held at ICE's Golden State Annex facility in McFarland, Kern County, pending legal proceedings. This marked the first known ICE operation in Berkeley during the second Trump administration.

On the morning of July 14, immigration agents in police vests and masks conducted enforcement operations in Arcadia, Florida. At La Placita Mexicana restaurant on U.S. Highway 17, Magi Velasquez, the restaurant manager, warned customers to flee after spotting agents asking for papers; agents chased a man who fled the parking lot. About 30 minutes later near a CVS a block away, witness J.F. observed agents arresting an elderly man close to 80 and another man in work clothes, forcibly loading them into a van. The Arcadia Police Department and DeSoto County Sheriff's Office both denied involvement, though both agencies have officers trained in immigration enforcement through 287(g) agreements. The incident occurred amid multiple ICE enforcement actions across Florida in recent days.

Carlos Roberto Montoya Valdez, a 52-year-old day laborer from Guatemala, died on August 14, 2025, after being struck by an SUV traveling approximately 60 mph while fleeing across Interstate 210 in Monrovia, California during a federal immigration enforcement operation at a Home Depot parking lot. Montoya had lived in the United States for about three years and worked to support his wife of 35 years, Ana María Vásquez, four daughters, and grandchildren in Guatemala. His daughter Ana Victoria recalled his final call the night before his death, in which he expressed hope of returning to Guatemala once he earned enough money to start his own business. His wife described him as "a light" who brought joy to everyone, especially his grandchildren. Between eight and ten day laborers from Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras were arrested during the operation. The Department of Homeland Security stated Montoya was not being pursued by federal agents when he ran. Community advocates, including the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, blamed the enforcement operation's tactics for creating panic that led to his death, and organizers are demanding a full investigation into the circumstances and calling on Home Depot to release any video footage.

Twenty-two people from the Greater Binghamton area were detained over one week during heightened ICE enforcement in Broome County, with local officials and activists later estimating the total at 25 to 30. Most detentions occurred as people commuted to work or worked outdoor jobs between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m., at locations including a Home Depot in Johnson City, a McDonald's in Endicott, Endicott BOCES, a Walmart in Vestal and a Johnson City hotel. Those detained were mostly Spanish speakers but also included people of South Asian and Central Asian descent, and several, including one BOCES employee, were legally present in the United States. Local leaders, including a Binghamton City Council member and the Johnson City mayor, have publicly condemned the operations, while community organizations continue to urge precautions and provide an ICE reporting hotline.

Jaime Alanis Garcia, a 57-year-old farmworker at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, California, died from injuries sustained during a federal immigration raid in July 2025. While fleeing federal immigration agents who deployed rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun guns, Garcia fell approximately 30 feet from a greenhouse roof, sustaining a broken neck and skull fractures. He was placed on life support before his family decided to discontinue his care. Garcia's wife and daughter filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Glass House Farms and the federal government, alleging that federal agents' use of excessive force caused Garcia to seek shelter on the roof. The raid resulted in more than 360 arrests of undocumented workers across Camarillo and Carpinteria locations. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Alanis was never in custody and was not being chased by federal agents. Community members later marched through Carpinteria to commemorate Garcia's death and demand accountability.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 309 people during a four-day operation in Palm Beach County from July 6 through July 10, 2026. Among those detained was the owner of a Guatemalan bakery in Lake Worth Beach. The operation was a joint effort involving federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies, including more than 100 agents and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office under the state's 287(g) agreements mandated by Governor Ron DeSantis. Of the 309 arrested, only 11 had legal violations beyond their immigration status, such as DUI, drug charges, or driving without a license, and one person was identified as a suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

About 10 employees at Ternerita Steakhouse in Orlando were detained by ICE on the night of July 10, 2026, after an employee called police following a workplace dispute, prompting an inspection of the restaurant. Owner Luis Tarrés said authorities found the restaurant fully compliant with licensing and operational requirements, but officers detained and handcuffed workers who lacked U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, including some with valid work permits and Social Security numbers, leaving only citizens and residents behind. Tarrés, describing the business as family-run, said the restaurant has been unable to reopen since the raid due to lack of staff, and that prospective hires he has since approached fear suffering the same fate. The employee who initially called police has not publicly explained what prompted the call.

Between July 6–10, 2026, federal, state, and local law enforcement arrested 309 undocumented immigrants during a five-day immigration enforcement operation in Palm Beach County conducted under the federal 287(g) program. More than 100 federal, state, and county personnel participated, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, Florida Highway Patrol's Criminal Apprehension Team, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, with support from the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard. Jacob Zapeta-Castro was among those detained during the enforcement activity, arrested at his bakery where he worked. The operation drew community concern and outrage over the detention methods and scope of the sweep.

ICE agents conducted enforcement operations in Clark County on Wednesday and Thursday, detaining at least 28 people who are being held at Clark County Jail. The Clarksville Police Department headquarters served as a staging area for federal agents. Community members reported increased ICE presence at locations including a Home Depot parking lot in Clarksville where Latino workers typically seek employment, and immigrant services organizations said clients canceled appointments out of fear of leaving their homes. Noe Muñoz, owner of El Mañanero Breakfast Spot, closed his restaurant Thursday due to community fear after his brother was pulled over by a Corydon police officer in an unmarked vehicle on Wednesday during what appeared to be a pretextual traffic stop that resulted in no citation; Corydon, more than 20 miles from Clarksville, is reportedly the only police department in southern Indiana enrolled in a program allowing it to act on behalf of ICE. Local activism groups expressed concerns about the enforcement operation.

The Bay County Sheriff's Office conducted multiple immigration enforcement operations in partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, resulting in 55 arrests for allegedly being in the United States unlawfully. The operations were conducted by deputies assigned to the 287(g) program in partnership with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations units.

Eight workers were detained during an ICE and Homeland Security Investigations operation at La Fontanella Foods, a food manufacturing warehouse in Kansas City's Historic Northeast, on July 9, 2026. The operation began around 9:45 a.m. and lasted approximately two and a half hours, involving seven to ten federal agents and Jackson County sheriff deputies. A worker reported that agents initially stated no one would be taken into custody and were there only to obtain documents, but later detained the eight people. Agents removed boxes of documents and computers from the facility. Federal officials claimed they were executing a federal criminal search warrant, but no witnesses or employees saw the warrant, and one officer acknowledged not personally carrying a copy. The operation was part of intensified ICE enforcement across the Kansas City metro during June and July 2026.

Yeferson Jose Canamo-Jordan, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national, and Felipe Fernando Reymundo, a 23-year-old Guatemalan national, were arrested by ICE during vehicle stops in Upper Marlboro on July 9, 2026, after being released from Prince George's County Detention Center. Both men had been released from county custody after their charges were dismissed or resolved. Canamo-Jordan entered the U.S. in August 2022 and has been convicted of driving without a valid license and recently charged with assault. Reymundo entered without inspection and has faced arrests since 2025 on charges including arson and motor vehicle theft. ICE alleged Canamo-Jordan was affiliated with Tren de Aragua. The arrests followed Prince George's County's decision to decline ICE detainers; the county executive signed an executive order in February banning the use of county property as immigration detention facilities.

Nando, a Guatemalan man who worked at the Sungrow greenhouse and packing facility near Rochester, New York, was arrested by ICE agents in late June as he left work in his car with his wife and another couple. After being pulled over by unmarked vehicles near the plant's exit, agents arrested him and another man while letting their partners leave. Nando had worked at the plant for 15 months, advancing from packing to operating machinery that unloaded boxes of tomatoes. He was taken to the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility, then transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, before being deported to Guatemala in early July. He is now home with his parents in a rural area without cell service, attempting to stay in touch with his wife and figure out his next steps. His arrest was part of broader ICE and Border Patrol enforcement operations at the Sungrow facility that began in mid-June, during which agents conducted surveillance in unmarked cars before dawn and at worker motels, resulting in at least six arrests near the plant.

ICE agents arrested at least two people in the parking lot of Thermoflex Corporation, a manufacturing plant at 1514 South Lakeside Drive in Waukegan, on Wednesday morning. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights confirmed the ICE activity in Lake County. The arrests occurred less than two months after federal agents arrested another person outside a nearby Uline warehouse on May 13, 2026, and made additional arrests in the Waukegan area that same day. ICIRR reminded residents who encounter federal agents that they have the right to remain silent, speak with an attorney, refuse to sign documents and record police activity.