Human Impact Project

Juan, a longtime resident with nearly two decades in the country and two U.S. citizen children, was arrested by ICE agents on Staten Island while playing dominoes with neighbors. The arrest left him in a state of constant anxiety about daily activities. His case exemplifies the pattern of street-based enforcement operations targeting Latino neighborhoods in the New York and New Jersey area between October 2025 and March 2026, during which over 93% of detainees who filed legal challenges were from Latin American countries.

Lucy's husband was deported by ICE to Mexico, leaving Lucy and their four children without his income. Lucy is seeking financial support for rent, groceries, and family stability while she works additional jobs to support the family.

Victor Martin was arrested by ICE agents on June 19, 2026, after they stopped him as he left his driveway. The agents aggressively tailgated his vehicle until forcing him to stop. He is currently detained at Stewart Detention Center alongside his wife, leaving his four children, ages 12, 14, 22, and 24, without parental support and facing significant financial strain.

Alejandra Santiago was stopped by ICE agents while leaving for work on June 19, 2026. Four ICE vehicles cornered her car, and agents removed her from the vehicle, questioned her, confiscated her phone, handcuffed her, and transported her to her home where her husband was also arrested. She is currently detained at Stewart Detention Center, leaving her four children, ages 12, 14, 22, and 24, to manage mortgage payments, attorney fees, and care for the two younger minors.

Saray Yuliandris Gonzalez-Gonzalez, a Venezuelan mother, and her child were detained by ICE agents at Cook County's Bridgeview Courthouse while appearing for court proceedings related to a retail theft charge. According to DHS, Gonzalez-Gonzalez was released by the Biden administration in September 2023 and received a final order of removal in May 2024. Both she and her child remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Two fathers were detained on their way to work on Thursday morning after recently relocating from Encinitas to San Marcos. One of their children received a Student of the Year award at elementary school graduation the same day. One mother was pregnant and due to give birth shortly after the detention, leaving two mothers together responsible for six children ages 4–11 without household breadwinners. The family faced immediate crisis with medical needs, baby supplies, food, housing, and childcare expenses.

César was detained by ICE and subsequently deported to Mexico, leaving behind his wife Gloria and their 9-month-old son Abel. Gloria now struggles financially without César's income, faced eviction, and is seeking funds to cover living expenses and travel costs to depart the U.S. and reunify the family in Mexico.

Orolua Eluonyechie, a Nigerian national, has been held in immigration detention for over two years, initially detained in Atlanta in April 2024 and later transferred to Allen Parish in southwest Louisiana. While detained, he has been injured by guards and placed in solitary confinement. He filed a federal habeas petition seeking release or deportation but remains waiting for judicial action as federal courts in Louisiana become overwhelmed with habeas petitions from detainees held in prolonged detention.

Joyce Basele, a 64-year-old nursing assistant from Kenya who entered the U.S. legally in 2005, was detained by ICE on June 18, 2026, during a routine check-in at a Houston ICE field office. For 14 years, Basele had complied with required immigration check-ins while under an order of supervision with a final removal order in place. She has no criminal history, pays taxes, works as a certified nursing assistant caring for children and elderly adults, and has a U.S.-citizen daughter whose petition to sponsor her mother was approved. Her attorney secured a stay of deportation to keep her in the country while a humanitarian petition is pending, but ICE has refused to release her from custody despite stating she will not be deported. Basele remains detained at a CoreCivic facility and spent her 64th birthday in detention on July 14, 2026.

Jessica Trevino, a 34-year-old DACA recipient who arrived in the U.S. from Mexico at age six or seven and has lived in Texas her entire life, was arrested by ICE agents on December 28, 2025, as she left church with her family in the Rio Grande Valley. Agents rammed the family's vehicle in a Home Depot parking lot, struck her husband Juan with a baton, and shoved her 14-year-old daughter Sarah against the car hard enough to bruise her. Trevino's DACA status was valid and not set to expire until spring 2027. She worked in an elementary school cafeteria and had no criminal record. After nearly 90 days in ICE custody, an immigration judge granted voluntary departure; Trevino claims she did not consent to this order and did not sign the forms. Despite federal law protecting active DACA recipients from removal and the errors in the judge's statement regarding her DACA expiration date, Trevino was deported to Matamoros, Mexico on March 25, 2026. Her three U.S. citizen children—ages 16, 14, and 13—remained in Texas in the care of relatives. After deportation, USCIS notified her of intent to revoke her DACA status and work permit. Her family has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the deportation as unlawful and seeking her return and restoration of DACA status.

Jorge Patino Rangel, who fled Mexico in 2024 due to extortion threats and entered the U.S. without inspection, was detained by ICE on June 18, 2026, pursuant to a warrant issued June 8, 2026. He had arranged for his young son to join him in the U.S., and the son was detained by immigration authorities upon entry in January 2026 before being released to Rangel's care as ORR sponsor. During the June 18 detention, approximately five vehicles surrounded Rangel and his son as they left their home; agents pointed guns and arrested Rangel while his son remained in the vehicle. The court granted Rangel's emergency motion for temporary restraining order, ordering his immediate release and prohibiting re-detention without notice and a pre-deprivation hearing before a neutral decisionmaker.

Daniel, a man with severe intellectual disabilities (IQ of 47) and limited English proficiency, was arrested by ICE agents on June 17, 2025, while collecting recyclables in his east Los Angeles neighborhood. Under the conservatorship of his siblings for decades, Daniel understood Spanish but struggled with English and could not cope with loud noises or routine disruptions. Despite his inability to understand removal proceedings or consent documents presented in English, and without involvement of his conservator or judicial review, he was deported to Mexico under claimed voluntary departure. His nephew Christopher, a U.S. citizen, launched an extensive search using ICE's online tracker and contacted federal authorities, eventually working with legal aid group ImmDef to locate Daniel at Adelanto detention center. Daniel ended up in a hospital in Tijuana with no awareness his family was searching for him. After more than nine months, lawyers secured his parole and return to the U.S. A federal judge subsequently issued a temporary restraining order blocking ICE from detaining him if he returns, ruling that his deportation raised serious due process concerns.

Dionicio Miguel Francisco-Gutierrez was arrested by ICE on Friday, June 14, 2026, while waiting at a bus stop in North Bergen, New Jersey, in front of his two children who were in school uniforms. The arrest was recorded by a bystander. According to federal officials, Francisco-Gutierrez has a prior criminal conviction for violating Pennsylvania's Controlled Substance Act, with previous arrests on drug charges in 2022 and 2023. Following his arrest, his two children were placed in the custody of a legal guardian that he had designated. North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco and Commissioner Hugo Cabrera condemned the enforcement action, with Cabrera stating that "the trauma inflicted on young children witnessing a parent or caregiver being detained is profound and lasting."

Friedrich Castillo-Ormeno self-deported to Peru in March 2026 after receiving a final deportation order and was approved for CBP Home incentive payments ($2,600) in April verifying his departure. In June 2026, ICE mistakenly identified him as a suspect in a violent incident in Stafford Township, New Jersey, where an officer was struck by a vehicle during an enforcement operation on Route 72. Federal prosecutors later charged a different man, Eduardo Cruz Garcia, with the assault. Castillo-Ormeno expressed concern that the misidentification could harm his reputation and affect his ability to legally return to the United States, as well as his U.S.-born daughter's documentation.

Olga Perez, a 47-year-old indigenous Mam language interpreter and community leader in Palm Beach County, Florida, was arrested during a traffic stop on I-95 in November 2025 and placed in ICE custody in Arizona. After seven months in detention and nine delayed immigration hearings, an immigration judge ordered her deported to Guatemala by July 6, 2026. She was released on her own recognizance pending voluntary deportation and made a surprise visit to her family and the Guatemalan-Maya Center in Lake Worth Beach before being deported. Perez had spent 30 years in the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant, volunteering as an interpreter and translator for indigenous communities in the region. Her deportation leaves behind four U.S. citizen children, ages 13 to 21.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported 72 Haitian asylum seekers, including 21 children and a 2-month-old baby, to Port-au-Prince on Monday, three days after President Biden suspended deportation flights to Haiti. The deportations occurred despite Biden's 100-day moratorium on deportations, which was limited to convicted criminals and suspected terrorists. The action followed a January 26 federal court injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton that blocked Biden's moratorium, which ICE used to resume deportation operations.

Diego was arrested and is currently detained by ICE. His wife Rosali, who is four months pregnant with their second child and caring for their daughter full-time, is struggling to meet basic household expenses including rent, utilities, groceries, and transportation while her husband fights his case.

Polina (born 2002) and Alexandra (born 2005), sisters from Belarus, have been detained at the California border for over 9 months. Their initial lawyer failed to properly defend them in court and stopped cooperating with the family. The sisters were denied habeas corpus twice due to legal errors and now face deportation to Belarus while awaiting a new asylum application. They have documented health issues and are seeking legal and financial support to continue their case.

A man was detained by ICE during an interview at the immigration office in Philadelphia while applying for adjustment of status (green card). He had a final exclusion order issued 30 years prior but no criminal history in the intervening decades. Under current immigration policies, ICE is detaining anyone with a final exclusion order who applies for adjustment of status, and he has been denied access to habeas corpus relief. His family is seeking legal options to prevent his deportation.

On June 17, 2026, ICE agents stopped a vehicle on Highway 59 near Mobile, Alabama, and detained Alejandro Alvarado Ramírez, leaving his 5-year-old son Ericson/Erikson alone in the car at a church parking lot. An ICE agent provided the child with his father's phone to contact his mother. The child's mother called a babysitter, and when the babysitter's 20-year-old twins arrived at the parking lot to retrieve the child, ICE agents approached them, requested identification, and photographed their licenses before departing. Advocates raised concerns about the safety risks posed by leaving a young child unattended during the detention.

In May 2026, 14-year-old Dilan Maney Paredes and his mother, Margoth Paredes-Ortiz, were detained by ICE in the Tempe area. Paredes-Ortiz was arrested at a Walmart, and her son was taken into custody outside Cecil Shamley School. Both were transferred to Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas, where they were held for approximately 20 days in conditions described as prison-like. They were released in June 2026 pursuant to the Flores Settlement Agreement, which limits child detention to 20 days. Rep. Greg Stanton's office submitted a congressional inquiry to ICE and coordinated with advocates on the case. The family returned to Arizona, where they will remain while their case proceeds before the Board of Immigration Appeals.

Wilber Urbina Garcia, an 18-year-old honors graduate from Jordan High School in South Los Angeles, was detained by ICE on June 10, 2026, during a routine check-in appointment at a federal courthouse the morning after his graduation ceremony. Garcia's family fled Nicaragua in late 2022 seeking asylum due to political persecution and were in asylum proceedings with valid work permits at the time of his detention. Teachers described Wilber as shy but disciplined, with leadership roles by senior year, and he had dreamed of becoming a doctor and registered for fall classes at El Camino College. During the check-in, ICE agents separated Wilber from his mother in an interview room and took him into custody. His attorney stated that ICE agents told the family Wilber was no longer covered under his mother's asylum case because he had turned 18, though as a derivative applicant filed before age 21, he should remain tied to the case. Wilber was detained at Adelanto ICE Processing Center. His mother and eldest brother subsequently entered removal proceedings and were fitted with ankle monitors. An ICE agent told the family that Wilber's 17-year-old sister would face detention when she turns 18.

Iaroslav Medvezhov, a 19-year-old Russian citizen, lawfully entered the United States on a visa in 2022 at age 16 with his parents and younger sister. His father filed an asylum application listing Medvezhov as a derivative beneficiary before his visa expired in September 2022. USCIS granted Medvezhov work authorization in July 2024 while his asylum application remained pending. Medvezhov graduated from high school, worked lawfully at two jobs, obtained a Florida driver's license, and has no criminal history. On June 16, 2026, Border Patrol agents stopped Medvezhov while he was driving to work without a traffic violation, arrested him for visa overstay despite his pending asylum application, and transported him to Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California. After being detained for over 40 days with his bond hearing postponed to August 5, 2026, Medvezhov filed a habeas corpus petition. The federal court granted the petition and ordered his immediate release, ruling that due process required a pre-deprivation bond hearing before detention given his four years of government-sanctioned liberty while his asylum case proceeded.

A woman was detained by ICE agents in an incident captured on video near a Hudson County school, separating her from her young children. Local officials condemned the enforcement action and noted that the agents wore masks in violation of a state law signed by Gov. Mikie Sherrill in March.

During a raid on a horse racing venue in Wilder, Idaho, law enforcement officers detained 105 undocumented immigrants. A 14-year-old U.S. citizen, SueHey, was zip-tied and confined during the operation. The ACLU filed a lawsuit alleging mistreatment of families, including the use of force against children and destruction of property, with eyewitness accounts contradicting government denials of the zip-tie allegations.

Scarleth, 10 years old, called out in distress—'Why are you taking my papa from me? He's the only one I have'—as ICE agents arrested her father outside a New York immigration court. Photographer Carol Guzy documented the incident as part of her year-long coverage of families affected by immigration enforcement.

Gabriela Soto's husband has been detained at Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark since January. Soto and her children have been repeatedly denied visits more than 10 times due to alleged dress code violations, including rejection of her 11-month-old's onesie and her 4-year-old's leggings as 'provocative.' The facility has also faced scrutiny for unsanitary conditions and tuberculosis control issues, with mass protests erupting outside and detainees reportedly participating in a hunger strike.

Juan Bonilla Lagos, a 32-year-old Colombian national, was arrested by ICE agents in Plainview in October 2024 while sitting in his car with his wife and 5-year-old son during what his family says was a trip to a doctor's appointment. During the arrest, agents threatened to break the car window as his child clung to him and pleaded with agents not to take him away. Bonilla Lagos, who entered the U.S. in 2022 fleeing gang violence in Colombia, was detained at an ICE facility in Batavia, New York, where he attempted suicide three times during his nine-month custody. He has no criminal record and has filed an asylum petition. On July 7, 2026, he was released and reunited with his wife and two children at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. The prolonged separation caused severe mental health trauma to his family, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

Benito Miranda Hernandez, a Navy veteran who served three tours during the Iraq War, was detained by ICE in June 2026 as he was leaving a reentry halfway house in Barrio Logan, San Diego, after completing a sentence for a drug conviction. Brought to the U.S. from Mexico as a baby, Hernandez had his green card reinstated in November before his arrest, but he now faces possible deportation. He is being held at Otay Mesa Detention Center. His mother, Maria Miranda, and veteran advocates including Hector Barajas and James L. Smith II say he struggled with PTSD and an extensive criminal history following his deployments, and was trying to turn his life around after completing the reentry program. His case is part of a broader trend of immigrant veterans facing deportation despite military service that was supposed to provide a path to citizenship.

Yoelí Altagracia Bracho Casanova, a 26-year-old Venezuelan, was arrested by ICE during an immigration appointment in Jacksonville on June 13 and detained alongside her 20-month-old U.S. citizen daughter, Rebeca Peña Bracho. Despite an approved I-130 family petition and legal documents prepared by her attorney—including a stay of removal request, a cancellation of removal application, and a permanent residency petition—ICE transferred both to a detention center in Texas and deported them to Venezuela within hours. Her husband, a Cuban-American U.S. citizen, stated that ICE refused to accept the legal documents when presented at the appointment, and transferred them out of state at approximately 2 a.m., preventing the attorney from filing additional documents the following day.

Jesús Augusto Paizano Casares, a 24-year-old Venezuelan national, reported experiencing domestic violence from his spouse in the United States. When he attempted to leave the relationship, his partner threatened to report him to immigration authorities and filed a false report against him, leading to his arrest. He was released after no evidence was found against him but was subsequently placed in ICE custody. Paizano Casares filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in U.S. District Court in Michigan challenging his detention. On January 29, 2026, Judge Robert J. Jonker granted his habeas petition, resulting in his release from ICE custody. He was represented by attorney William McLean, III, and later filed a motion for attorney fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act, which was denied on June 12, 2026.

Manuel de Jesus Montes-Lazo, an undocumented Honduran immigrant, was arrested by ICE in April 2026 while heading to wake an employee for the roofing business he owned with his wife, Joanna Garzes Lopez, a U.S. citizen. Despite being married to a U.S. citizen and in the final stages of a marriage-based green card petition, Manuel was detained at Clay County Justice Center and later transferred to a federal facility in South Texas. A 2025 Board of Immigration Appeals decision rendered him ineligible for bond release because he had crossed the border unlawfully. An immigration judge denied his cancellation of removal application, and facing months or years of appeals he could not afford, Manuel waived his appeal and was deported. Rather than remain in the United States as a single parent, Joanna, a devout Christian who values family unity, made the difficult decision to self-deport to Honduras with their two sons, Macario (6) and Jacob (4). On June 12, 2026, the family flew to Honduras with minimal belongings to reunite with Manuel and live with his family in Yorito. The move required Joanna to close their roofing business, prepare to sell their home in the Brookstone neighborhood of Indianapolis, and uproot her children from school and friends after over a decade of building their life in the United States. Jacob has experienced bedwetting and nightmares since his father's arrest; Macario has taken on emotional weight beyond his years, feeling responsible for protecting his mother.

Alsu and Azat, a Russian couple who fled fearing imprisonment for opposing the war in Ukraine, were detained with their 1-year-old son Amir after crossing the southern border and presenting themselves at a legal port of entry. During four months of detention at Dilley in 2025, Amir withdrew and began hitting himself in the face, with his speech development slowing until he stopped saying anything other than 'mom' and 'dad.' The facility lacked toys for toddlers and books in Russian. Staff forced Alsu to wean Amir off formula, claiming he was too old, and Amir suffered fevers and stomach problems while detained. Alsu resorted to sucking spicy sauce off noodles to feed him and hiding cereal in socks and hoods. Azat alleges CoreCivic employees threatened to separate the parents and send Amir to foster care if they stopped complaining. The family was released in January under supervision. ICE has detained more than 500 infants and toddlers under age three since January 2025.

Jefferson Hisola, a Filipino father and long-term Alaska resident, was released from ICE detention following a court decision in his favor and a widespread public campaign mobilizing community advocates. His release ended a legal battle that highlighted vulnerabilities in immigration status for long-term residents, even those with community ties and economic contributions.

A 7-year-old boy appeared in immigration court to request reunification with his father, who had been detained and deported to South America. The immigration judge approved the boy's voluntary return within 60 days at government expense with child safety protections. The hearing is part of a pattern of fast-tracked immigration court cases involving minors under the Trump administration, with attorneys reporting violations of the 10-day notice requirement and compressed timelines.

Arelys Barahona-Martinez, a 40-year-old Honduran national, was detained by ICE on June 10, 2026, during a routine scheduled check-in appointment at an ICE office in Dallas, where she had been checking in without incident for years. She was transferred to a detention facility in Oklahoma and faces deportation based on a removal order issued in 2005 following unauthorized entries to the U.S. Barahona-Martinez is married to retired Staff Sergeant Wilmer Trujillo, a 20-year U.S. Army and Texas National Guard veteran with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The couple shares a household that includes Trujillo's daughters and Barahona-Martinez's 20-year-old son, a U.S. citizen with neurofibromatosis. Her attorney argues she is eligible for permanent residency through her marriage to a U.S. citizen and may qualify for a parole-in-place program designed to protect military families, though her application was rejected by USCIS in November 2024. Trujillo is fighting to prevent her deportation.

Joy, a 19-year-old immigrant, arrived in the United States five years ago with her husband and children. Her husband was detained by ICE, and during the detention his vehicle was damaged and impounded, leaving Joy without transportation and facing immediate eviction. Before she could communicate with her husband following his detention, he was deported to Louisiana. Because one of their four children was born in the U.S., the family cannot self-deport together or be accepted into family detention, leaving Joy to navigate obtaining passports and supporting her children alone.

Jesus Acevedo-Sanchez was detained by ICE agents on June 11, 2026, at Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School in Southeast Baltimore during a preschool graduation ceremony. When agents attempted to arrest him, Acevedo-Sanchez refused lawful commands and violently resisted, using his vehicle to evade law enforcement and dragging an ICE officer in the process. He faces federal charges for resisting and impeding federal officers and destruction of government property. Children who were in the vehicle were removed and cared for by family members, while school staff secured other children in the building. Acevedo-Sanchez has a history of evading ICE, including a prior collision with an ICE vehicle in April 2026. He is being held at a Baltimore detention facility. Two undocumented immigrants were detained by ICE agents at Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School during a school graduation ceremony on June 11, 2026. The individuals were pursued by ICE agents and drove into the school parking lot with children in the vehicle. During the detention, one individual punched federal officers and faces federal charges for assaulting a federal officer. The arrests resulted in children being separated from their parents and caused distress among those present. School officials and state leaders condemned the enforcement action at the sensitive location.

Leo's parents, ages 60 and 62, were detained by ICE and held separately at facilities within an hour of Palatka, Florida. The parents have lived in the United States since the 1990s and operated Palatka Buffet for nearly 20 years before their son Leo took over the family business with Leo's Fine Sushi. They are facing deportation to China. Their son has launched a fundraiser to support legal fees and family expenses during their detention.

Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16, was detained by ICE following a traffic stop in Morrisonville, Illinois on June 9, 2026. Local police towed his vehicle, and ICE agents subsequently picked him up at a nearby gas station. Cruz's family, which includes documented relatives, requested his release to their custody, but ICE denied the request. He was transferred to a juvenile detention facility in Texas without family involvement in the transport. Representative Nikki Budzinski's office became involved to seek answers regarding his detention and transfer.

Three Collinsville, Illinois teens — Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16; Hector Cruz Sanchez, 19; and Jonathan Godoy, 19 — were detained by ICE on June 9, 2026, in Morrisonville, Illinois, while traveling for a summer job doing internet line work. They were pulled over by the Morrisonville Police Department, after which ICE took them into custody. Cruz, 16, is being held at an unidentified detention facility in Texas. Sanchez and Godoy are detained at Ste. Genevieve Detention Center in Missouri. The Illinois Attorney General's Office noted that state law sharply limits local police participation in federal immigration enforcement. State Rep. Katie Stuart called the incident "horrifying" and began working with the governor's office and attorney general. Candidate Marsie Geldert-Murphey questioned whether local police violated the Illinois Way Forward Act and Trust Act by handing a minor to ICE.

Ricky, a longtime U.S. resident who arrived as a young child in 2000 and lost his DACA status, was detained by ICE. He is married to an American citizen, Katya, and they have two young children in East Tennessee. His family is seeking legal assistance for a T Visa application, waiver, work permit, and other relief options to prevent his deportation to Mexico, where they say he faces safety risks.

Juana, a mother of four with no criminal record, was arrested by ICE agents on the side of the road in Grants Pass on June 9, 2026. A bystander videotaped the arrest, which showed agents handcuffing her and placing her in an unmarked vehicle while her van was left locked on the roadside. She was transported to the Tacoma immigration detention center and is facing deportation.

A woman was detained by ICE for over one year and separated from her children, who were placed in the care of their father and stepmother. Following her release, she is seeking to regain custody of her children after serious allegations of child abuse emerged against the stepmother. She requires legal assistance to navigate both her ongoing immigration case and family court custody proceedings.

Willian, the father of two U.S.-citizen children and son of a naturalized U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE while at work on Monday. He has active work authorization issued by the U.S. government and was actively pursuing his immigration case through the legal system. A federal judge subsequently ordered that he cannot be transferred or removed while his case is reviewed.

During summer 2025 ICE raids in Southern California, federal agents arrested thousands of undocumented immigrants in neighborhoods, workplaces, and homes. Giovanni, a Salvadoran worker at a car wash in the San Fernando Valley, was detained for six months at Adelanto ICE Processing Center after refusing to sign deportation documents, while three coworkers were quickly deported to Mexico. His family was left without his income and faced potential displacement.

Thien, who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 1984 at age 3 and became a permanent resident, lost his green card status at 16 due to a mistake. After serving his sentence, he was placed on an order of supervision rather than deported because Vietnam was not accepting deportees. For 24 years, he complied with every condition of the order, maintained work authorization, built a business, and raised a family. When he attended a scheduled immigration appointment, he was detained within 10 minutes without an interview and is now facing deportation.

Akram Mahmoud Omar, 77, a Palestinian-born lawful permanent resident who lived in the United States for 50 years, was detained by ICE in October 2025 during a routine check-in at Angola prison's ICE detention facility. While in custody, Omar suffered a heart attack and underwent triple-bypass surgery. On May 29, 2026, Federal Judge Brian Jackson ordered Omar's release, finding ICE violated his constitutional rights and due process. However, on June 8, 2026, ICE re-arrested Omar at his home without warning and attempted to deport him to Israel the following morning, directly defying the judge's order. A second emergency court order forced ICE to release him again and prohibited further detention or removal pending a June 24 hearing.

Dy Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee who lived in the United States for 27 years, was detained by ICE for almost 8 months beginning in October 2025 before being deported to Vietnam. During his detention at Stewart Detention Center in Atlanta, his newborn son was born, whom he never physically held. His attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund pursued legal action for his release, but the case was delayed for over six months. Nguyen was shackled for 35 hours during flights and spent an additional 30 hours on buses traveling through Vietnam after deportation, separated from his family of five and his church community.

A man was detained by ICE on May 21, 2026, while taking his car for repair. He has no criminal record and worked to support his family. His wife and three children have been left to manage on a single income and are struggling with rent, utilities, groceries, and other expenses, while also seeking legal representation for his immigration case.