Human Impact Project

Javier Diaz Santana, a 32-year-old deaf DACA recipient with no criminal history, was arrested by ICE agents during a raid at a car wash in Temple City, California on June 12, 2025. Despite being deaf and unable to communicate, agents confiscated his phone and wallet, handcuffed him, and transported him to an El Paso detention center without explaining his detention or accommodating his disability. He was released on July 8 after his attorney provided proof of his DACA status to authorities.

Brian Gavidia, a U.S. citizen born and raised in East Los Angeles, was pinned against a gate at his car lot by armed federal agents who refused to accept that he was a citizen. He was forced to close his used-car business after agents kept returning to the neighborhood. He joined an ACLU class-action lawsuit challenging ICE's racial profiling. He also had to tell his nine-year-old daughter she couldn't visit from Portland because it wasn't safe.

Javier Ramirez, a U.S. citizen and father of four, was tackled and detained by masked federal immigration agents at a tow yard in Montebello on June 12, 2025. According to security camera footage, an agent allegedly told another agent to arrest Ramirez because he was Mexican. When Ramirez called 911 while handcuffed in a van, police said they could not assist because federal agents were involved. He was held in a downtown Los Angeles facility for more than four days and charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer. The federal case against him was dismissed without prejudice. His attorney believes the charge was fabricated to cover up racial profiling.

Yurien saw her father handcuffed, chained from the waist and ankles, and whisked away by ICE agents outside his workplace in LA's fashion district during the June 2025 raids. She remains haunted by the image a year later.

Guadalupe Cabrera Mejia, a Glenn Valley Foods employee, was detained during the June 10, 2025 ICE raid and charged with felony misrepresentation of a Social Security number. Federal prosecutors allege she used the Social Security number of a U.S. citizen who had previously reported identity theft to the Internal Revenue Service. At her initial appearance in federal court, the judge ordered her to remain behind bars pending trial, and ICE placed a detainer on her as a precursor to deportation.

Osmar Lorenzo-Genchi, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen and employee at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha, Nebraska, was arrested during an ICE raid on June 10, 2025. After ICE officers confirmed his citizenship and released him, he joined protesters blocking law enforcement vehicles from leaving the scene. He struck a vehicle's mirror with his fists, bent a windshield wiper, and shattered a passenger-side window with a rock. He was convicted and sentenced to 22 months in prison for assaulting and impeding federal officers with a dangerous weapon. His mother, also a Glenn Valley Foods employee, was detained during the same raid and remained in custody at Lincoln County Jail. The raid resulted in the detention of 76 employees at the meatpacking plant.

ICE conducted raids at the Ambiance Apparel warehouse in Los Angeles's Fashion District, detaining approximately two dozen workers on alleged administrative immigration violations. Families of the detained individuals report difficulty making contact with their loved ones and locating where they are being held, with some detainees reportedly already deported. About a dozen of those taken were from Veracruz, Mexico, and attorneys working with the families say access to detainees has been extremely limited.

Nohemi Cruz's husband was detained at Westchester Hand Wash and subsequently deported to Mexico following an immigration raid. Cruz reported that her husband was injured during the raid, denied healthcare and legal representation, and forced to sign his own deportation order before being allowed basic amenities like a shower and a three-minute phone call. The family now faces a processing timeline of eight to ten years to attempt reunification.

Jose, father of two young children, was detained by ICE during a raid at a car wash where he worked. His partner Alma Ramirez received a call informing her of his detention while their children were at school. He is now being held at a detention center in California City with a court date pending.

Four undocumented employees from Guatemala were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a worksite enforcement operation at D-Hand Car Wash in Southington, Connecticut on June 9, 2025. The agents, who did not initially identify themselves, asked employees for documentation and papers around 9:30 a.m. The operation was conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations Hartford division along with Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. Community members and advocates gathered at the Hartford courthouse Monday evening in response to the incident.

Federal immigration officials conducted a raid targeting day laborers in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Santa Ana on Monday. A 50-year-old man from Peru was detained after agents arrived and began taking workers into custody, but was released after producing asylum seeker documents. The man said agents pointed guns at the group and took several people into custody in front of the store on MacArthur Boulevard.

Cary López Alvarado, a 28-year-old U.S. citizen nine months pregnant, was detained by immigration agents in Hawthorne, California on Sunday. López Alvarado said agents shoved her during the arrest, causing her to lose her balance as she tried to protect her stomach. After her release, she experienced sharp stomach pains and was hospitalized for one day for monitoring. López Alvarado and her cousin Alberto Sandoval, also a U.S. citizen, were doing maintenance work when agents in Border Patrol uniforms arrived in marked CBP vehicles following a white pickup truck carrying two undocumented workers, including her partner Brian Nájera.

An unnamed man was detained by ICE on June 9, 2025, at a Home Depot in Huntington Park, California, where he regularly sought work. His family launched a fundraiser to pay for legal representation to challenge the deportation process. The man is described as the sole provider for his family.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted sweeps across Orange County on June 10, 2025, detaining at least a dozen people at a Home Depot on Harbor Boulevard and others at multiple locations including businesses near Warner Avenue and Broadway. Hundreds of protesters gathered at Santa Ana's federal building and civic center in response, and law enforcement deployed pepper spray and tear gas as the demonstration grew and blocked streets. Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said ICE appeared to target day laborers waiting for work.

A 52-year-old day laborer died after being struck by an SUV on the freeway while attempting to flee a federal immigration raid at a Home Depot in Monrovia. He worked to support his wife and four daughters. His death was one of the immediate casualties of the June 2025 mass deportation campaign launched across Los Angeles County.

On June 6, 2024, federal immigration agents conducted a raid on Ambiance Apparel, a garment factory in downtown Los Angeles, arresting over 40 workers, many from Zapotec Indigenous communities. The operation separated families and triggered legal challenges and advocacy organizing. One year later, affected workers and families continue to face economic hardship, emotional trauma, and pending immigration proceedings. Advocates including Lucha Zapoteca secured the release of 11 of 14 initially detained family members and raised over $300,000 in support, though some workers remain in federal custody and others have been deported.

Mario and more than 40 other workers, many from Zapotec Indigenous communities, were detained during an ICE raid at Ambiance Apparel on June 6, 2025. A year later, some workers have been deported while others remain in immigration proceedings, with families facing ongoing economic hardship and trauma. Mario's daughter Yurien and other family members continue to struggle with the lasting consequences of the enforcement action.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted coordinated raids in Los Angeles's Fashion District on June 6, 2025, detaining more than 40 undocumented immigrants, including over 20 workers at a Korean-owned wholesale clothing business. Following the raids, some Korean American merchants closed their stores and protests occurred throughout the city. Business activity in the area was affected, with some workers departing and customers avoiding the location.

In the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, agents returned to the Home Depot where they had detained dozens of day laborers earlier that month. Community observers recorded as agents detained two people; a masked agent aimed a handgun at close range; another sprayed a chemical irritant; and an agent jumped into an unmarked SUV as it began rolling forward after agents apparently had forgotten to put it in park.

In June 2025, ICE conducted a raid on a meatpacking plant in Omaha, the largest worksite operation in Nebraska since the start of the Trump administration. Dozens of workers were detained, including family friends and church acquaintances of Alejandra's family. The meatpacking industry in Nebraska, which includes major facilities for JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill, and Smithfield, depends heavily on immigrant labor, with immigrants representing approximately 53% of the state's workforce.

Undocumented day laborers who volunteered to clear toxic fire debris in Altadena and Pasadena after the January 2025 Eaton wildfire were arrested in June 2025 ICE sweeps. Workers cleared roads and distributed water to fire victims without pay. ICE enforcement operations targeted job sites, Home Depot parking lots, and street vendors in wildfire-affected and recovery-zone neighborhoods. ICE arrested over 2,200 people in LA in June 2025 alone.

Homeland Security Investigations agents raided two locations of Buona Forchetta restaurant in San Diego's South Park neighborhood on Friday evening, deploying flash bang grenades and detaining multiple employees. According to the restaurant manager, at least four workers were detained during the operation. Community members gathered outside to protest, and San Diego Police were called to assist with crowd control, though they did not participate in the enforcement action.

Federal agents arrested 13 undocumented immigrants at a window supply business in Paducah, Kentucky during a worksite investigation into employment fraud. Eight of the arrestees were indicted on charges of using stolen or false Social Security numbers on employment verification forms (I-9s) between June 2021 and August 2025. The eight indicted defendants each face up to five years in prison if convicted. The remaining five arrested individuals were not criminally charged and remain in ICE custody pending immigration removal proceedings.

Leo Garcia Venegas, a U.S. citizen born in Florida, was detained twice by ICE agents while working in construction in southern Alabama in 2025. On May 21, federal agents raided a construction site where Venegas was working, detained him along with Latino coworkers, and dismissed his REAL ID-compliant driver's license as fake, keeping him handcuffed for nearly an hour before confirming his citizenship via Social Security number. On June 12, he was again detained at a residential construction site when officers refused to accept his REAL ID and was released only after they confirmed his lawful status. Venegas has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the raids.

Leonardo García Venegas, a Florida-born U.S. citizen with valid REAL ID, was arrested by ICE agents at a construction site in Alabama on May 21. When he provided his identification, agents claimed it was fake and handcuffed him. He was released hours later after reciting his Social Security number to prove his citizenship.

ICE agents conducted workplace enforcement actions at Manitou Equipment America and Global Polymer Industries in Madison, South Dakota on May 13, 2025. Eight workers were arrested on immigration violations across the two facilities: two from Nicaragua and one from El Salvador at Manitou Equipment, and three from Nicaragua and two from Guatemala at Global Polymer Industries. All eight were taken into federal custody and are pending deportation proceedings. ICE stated the raids were based on information about illegal employment operations.

On May 6, 2025, ICE and HSI agents conducted unannounced visits to multiple Washington, D.C. restaurants as part of a Trump administration immigration enforcement crackdown targeting businesses suspected of employing undocumented workers. Agents requested I-9 employment verification forms and issued inspection notices requiring document production within three business days at establishments including Chef Geoff's and Pupatella. No arrests were made during the sweeps. Restaurant employees, managers, and members of immigrant communities reported anxiety about their legal obligations.

ICE officers arrested dozens of delivery and rideshare drivers at the gates of Camp Pendleton military base in California as part of an "interagency security initiative" launched in May 2025. Many of those detained had temporary permission to work in the U.S. and were employed by apps like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and GrubHub. Federal judges have repeatedly found the detentions violated due process, yet the base and ICE continue the practice.

Martín Majín was detained by federal agents outside his barbershop in Pomona on Tuesday, with the arrest captured on security camera video showing agents approaching with weapons. He was released Wednesday after an immigration judge granted his release without bail. Majín, who was deported nearly 20 years ago and returned to the United States unauthorized months later, is scheduled to appear before an immigration judge again on May 29 in Los Angeles court.

Eight undocumented immigrants were arrested by ICE agents at a Las Vegas worksite, according to Laura Martin, executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. Plainclothes federal agents targeted the business, prompting immigrant advocates to warn of increased federal immigration enforcement activity in the Las Vegas area. The Nevada Immigrant Coalition, which includes PLAN, the Culinary Union, and ACLU of Nevada, organized a news conference and press briefing to alert residents and advise them on their rights during ICE encounters. Advocates noted that enforcement operations have been targeting workplaces, particularly construction sites. Undocumented immigrants make up 9% of Nevada's workforce, the largest share of any state.

Erasmo Zavala, a Berks County man who had applied for a U visa after helping law enforcement investigate his daughter's murder, was arrested by ICE in April 2025 despite his pending humanitarian visa application. After nearly two months in ICE detention, including at Moshannon Valley Processing Center, he was released following a court order from Judge Stephanie Haines. His case highlights a dispute over a Trump administration policy rescinding protections for crime victims and witnesses cooperating with law enforcement.

ICE conducted a raid on a paint business in El Cajon on March 27, 2025, arresting Jorge Lopez Leon and approximately 14 other workers. Lopez Leon, a father of four whose wife is a U.S. citizen and who was in the process of obtaining a green card, was detained at Otay Mesa Detention Center. The operation involved dozens of agents with weapons and resulted in the deportation of at least three workers who chose not to contest their cases in immigration court.

Sergio Garcia Silva, a 65-year-old chef who lived in the United States for 36 years, was deported to Mexico by ICE on March 25, 2025. He had no criminal record and owned a Mexican restaurant business in Waco. Garcia had entered the U.S. in 1989 and spent 25 years attempting to become a U.S. citizen before being arrested at his food truck and deported within one day. The deportation was based on a two-decade-old deportation order for illegal re-entry that had never been previously enforced. After deportation, Garcia was held captive by an extortion group in Mexico and was apprehended by Border Patrol when attempting to return, resulting in a second deportation in June 2025. The deportations separated him from his family, including four children, who remained in the United States.

Twelve restaurant workers at a Mexican restaurant in Liberty, Missouri were barricaded inside by armed Department of Homeland Security agents and arrested without warrants. According to legal documents filed by attorneys, federal agents allegedly created arrest documents retroactively to justify the warrantless arrests. The operation violates the Nava Settlement, which covers Missouri along with five other states including Illinois. Attorneys argue this represents an attempt to evade settlement protections limiting warrantless ICE arrests.

ICE agents detained an employee at a Minneapolis business owned by Nesta Rodriguez. Rodriguez spoke to Sky News about the incident.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations Kalispell, with support from Spokane Border Patrol, conducted a worksite operation at a construction site in Bigfork on March 4, 2025. Acting on a tip, agents served a notice of inspection and encountered 17 undocumented immigrants. All 17 were taken into custody and found ineligible to remain in the United States.

Sergio Garcia, a Mexican chef, was deported by ICE in March 2025 after 36 years living in the United States. Garcia had no criminal record besides a two-decade-old deportation order for illegal re-entry from 1989. He was apprehended while loading his food truck. His deportation separated him from his four U.S.-born adult children and wife. After deportation, he was held captive in Mexico and faced violence in Chiapas.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Emine and Celal Emanet, owners of Jersey Kebab restaurant in Haddon Township, New Jersey on February 25, 2025. The couple, who came from Turkey nearly two decades ago on visas, had fallen out of legal status and were being detained by ICE. Celal Emanet was released with an ankle monitor, while his wife remains in ICE custody awaiting a bond hearing scheduled for mid-March.

Sergey Kostenyuk, a Ukrainian refugee who came to the U.S. as a child and is a legal permanent resident with a green card, was arrested by ICE agents posing as customers interested in buying a chicken coop. He was detained for over two months based on two 2018 felony convictions for theft, but was eventually released when a judge ruled he did not meet the federal criteria for deportation.

Rafael Flores Martinez, a father and husband, was detained by ICE in February 2025 while working at his family's pupusa stand in Pacoima, California. He was held at Adelanto ICE Processing Center for over a year before being transferred to El Paso, Texas in June 2026, then to Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center. As of June 25, 2026, he was suspected to be at Alexandria International Airport awaiting deportation to El Salvador despite having legal grounds to file additional appeals.

Pancho's Taqueria in Circle Pines temporarily closed after an employee was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers earlier in January. The restaurant states the employee held a valid work visa and was detained while taking out trash. The restaurant has since reopened with limited hours and restricted access.

U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted raids in Kern County in January 2025, stopping and arresting 78 people, predominantly Latinos and farmworkers, often without reasonable suspicion. A federal court ruled in April 2025 that the agents likely violated constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure, and ordered them to halt raids in California's Eastern District, but Border Patrol continued operations in Los Angeles and Sacramento despite the court order.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted a multi-day enforcement operation in Kern County that resulted in 78 arrests, including farmworkers in the Central Valley. The operation, called Operation Return to Sender, resulted in widespread fear among immigrant families and workers, with many staying home from work and struggling to locate detained relatives. Border Patrol officials stated the operation targeted transnational criminal organizations. Community advocates and elected officials raised concerns about potential racial profiling and the impact on the agricultural industry.

Alvaro Arias was detained by ICE on January 10, 2025, while working on a home near the Imperial and Garfield area in Southgate, California. His family is raising funds to cover legal representation and associated case expenses.

Federal immigration officers detained a contractor at General Mills' Chanhassen manufacturing facility in mid-January. Video of the incident circulated on social media. The detention occurred as part of increased ICE enforcement activity at Minnesota workplaces, affecting major companies.

Juan Manuel Arellano Zepeda, a 48-year-old Mexican national and owner of El Fresco restaurant in Bloomington, was detained by ICE on January 6 and held in El Paso, Texas. Arellano Zepeda, who has lived in the U.S. for 25 years and has a pending Visa T application, was initially reported missing by his family after they found his car empty with the driver's side window rolled down. His daughter Laura Janyra Arellano Molina told Newsweek that her father called to say he was being taken to El Paso, and the family later identified him in ICE facility photos posted on social media. The restaurant described Arellano Zepeda as "always characterized by his kindness and respect toward his customers and the public." His family said he has no criminal record and has not had a court hearing as of the article's publication.