HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

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1058 incidents with known locations

Trans organizer detained at ICE check-in, held in men's facility despite advocacy work

Mar 9, 2026Phoenix, AZVenezuela

Karla Saenz, a 26-year-old Venezuelan transgender organizer with Trans Queer Pueblo, was detained by ICE on March 9, 2026, during what she believed was a routine immigration check-in in Phoenix. According to an eyewitness account, ICE agents took her to a back room, claimed she had an arrest warrant without providing documentation, and handcuffed her. Saenz was transferred to Eloy Detention Center, located approximately 60 miles southeast of Phoenix, where she was initially placed in the men's unit despite being a trans woman. She contracted COVID-19 during her first two days in custody. Saenz had been a vocal advocate for Arbella "Yari" Marquez, a lesbian detainee at the same facility who was suffering from serious health complications including returning leukemia. Advocates believe Saenz's detention was retaliatory for her visible organizing work against immigration enforcement in Arizona, noting that she had consistently complied with all supervision requirements prior to her detention.

Deaf child deported without hearing aids after mother detained at ICE check-in

Mar 8, 2026San Francisco, CAColombia

Lesly Rodriguez Gutierrez, 28, a Colombian asylum-seeker who had lived in the U.S. for approximately four years with no criminal record, attended a routine check-in appointment at ICE's San Francisco office on March 3, 2026, with her two sons, including a deaf child who attended the California School for the Deaf. All three were detained by federal agents. The deaf child was separated from his hearing aids and assistive equipment during detention, despite a family member being present outside willing to provide them. The family was deported to Colombia by March 6. A federal immigration court had placed an order of supervision on Rodriguez Gutierrez that should have prevented deportation. Her attorney stated ICE misled his team about the family's whereabouts throughout the week and obstructed access to counsel, preventing the family from invoking humanitarian protections. California officials and immigration attorneys subsequently called for the family's return.

Father detained by masked agents at laundromat, held 10 days before release

Mar 8, 2026Spokane, WAEcuador

Jefferson Fernando Cando Llano, 29, a father of a 6-year-old boy seeking asylum from Ecuador, was detained by masked Border Patrol agents in unmarked vehicles at a laundromat parking lot in Browne's Addition, Spokane on March 8. Cando Llano came to Spokane three years ago with his wife to escape trauma and violence in Ecuador and has an open asylum case with no criminal record. Friends who witnessed the encounter could not identify the agents and filed a missing persons report with Spokane police, fearing a kidnapping. Cando Llano was held for 10 days at Kootenai County Jail before being released after his attorney filed an appeal against a removal order issued by an immigration judge. The incident raised concerns among local police about the use of unmarked vehicles and masks by federal agents in immigration enforcement operations.

Honduran asylum seeker detained by ICE after traffic stop in Florida

Mar 6, 2026Orlando, FLHonduras

Jose Ernesto Aparicio Almendarez, a 20-year-old Honduran citizen who entered the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor seeking asylum, was detained by ICE after being stopped for driving without a license in Orlando, Florida. He had previously been released by ORR to a sponsor and has a pending asylum application. The court ordered his immediate release, finding his detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated due process. Jose Alberto Cuellar, a 51-year-old landscaper from El Salvador who has lived in South Florida for 30 years, was detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop near Davie and Griffin roads early Tuesday morning. According to his son Justin, who was driving the landscaping truck, ICE agents approached the vehicle after it was pulled over for an allegedly obstructed license plate, and agents asked his father in Spanish whether he had papers or was "legal," using a racial slur. Cuellar has no criminal record and has worked as a landscaper six days a week for decades while attempting to legalize his immigration status since the early 2000s; his family has been unable to locate him in any detainee system and are raising funds for legal representation.

Honduran asylum seeker detained for month after ICE traffic stop, faces deportation despite work authorization

Mar 6, 2026Virginia Beach, VAHonduras

Juan, a Honduran national who came to the U.S. seven years ago seeking asylum, was arrested by ICE during a traffic stop on a Virginia highway while driving to work. He had an active asylum case, work permit, and marriage petition to a U.S. citizen at the time of his arrest. After spending one month detained at Farmville Detention Center, Juan was released on bond following a habeas petition but now faces an uncertain asylum process with declining approval rates under the current administration.

El Salvador woman detained by ICE during check-in appointment

Mar 5, 2026North Chesterfield, VAEl Salvador

Mirna Yesenia Alvarado Benitez, a citizen of El Salvador who entered the U.S. in July 2024, was initially detained and then released with conditions. On March 5, 2026, she appeared for a routine ICE check-in appointment, at which point the government placed her in expedited removal proceedings and detained her. The court granted a temporary restraining order preventing her removal while her habeas corpus petition is pending. Mirna Benitez, a Salvadoran woman who had been living in the U.S. for nearly 13 years and working as a school custodian, was detained by ICE after attending a scheduled appointment at an ICE office in North Chesterfield on December 7, 2025. Despite having attended regular ICE check-ins for years, applied for asylum with legal representation, and obtained a temporary work permit, Benitez was taken into custody without warning. She was transferred through multiple detention facilities—Riverside Regional Jail in Richmond, an ICE facility in Texas, and another in Louisiana—over 10 days, during which she reported mistreatment by officers, inadequate medical care, unsanitary conditions, and denial of access to legal counsel. She ultimately chose to accept deportation to El Salvador rather than remain detained, departing before Christmas.

El Salvadoran man detained for five months without bond hearing ordered released

Mar 4, 2026Simi Valley, CAEl Salvador

José Mauricio León Llanos is a citizen of El Salvador who has lived in the United States for approximately 20 years, having entered on November 26, 2005. He has a United States citizen child and has worked in the country with no prior removal order. On March 4, 2026, ICE officers apprehended him in Simi Valley, California during a field operation as he exited his vehicle. Officers did not provide him a warrant until after arrest and did not provide a pre-deprivation opportunity to contest his detention. Llanos has been held at Desert View Annex in Adelanto, California since his detention and has never received a bond hearing before an immigration judge, with no neutral decisionmaker reviewing whether his continued detention was warranted. He sought immediate release under reasonable conditions of supervision through an emergency motion for temporary restraining order. On August 4, 2026, the federal court granted his motion and ordered his immediate release, finding he demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of his due process claim under the Mathews v. Eldridge test and that he would suffer irreparable harm from continued unlawful detention.

Venezuelan man deported to El Salvador prison over rose tattoos

Mar 3, 2026Venezuela

Luis Muñoz Pinto, a 27-year-old Venezuelan man, was deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador's Cecot prison in March 2025. He was accused of gang membership based on rose tattoos he obtained to honor his twin sisters. U.S. immigration officials identified the tattoos as Tren de Aragua gang symbols. A federal court later ruled that Muñoz Pinto and over 100 other deported Venezuelans must be allowed to return to the U.S. for due process.

Two Charlotte mothers held at gunpoint by Border Patrol, file $3 million damages claim

Mar 2, 2026Charlotte, NC

Tatyana Reisini and Kristen Roos, two Charlotte mothers, were chased by federal Border Patrol agents on November 17, 2025, while driving to the Southern Christmas Show. Agents surrounded their vehicle in a parking lot, pursued them into a residential neighborhood, and cornered them in a driveway where an agent pointed an assault rifle at Reisini's face and smashed the car windows with the gun, scattering glass onto her. Roos was 10 days post-surgery at the time. Both women were zip-tied and falsely imprisoned at an FBI office for approximately four hours. They were initially charged with assaulting federal officers, but the U.S. Attorney's Office voluntarily dismissed the charges on March 2, 2026. Video of the incident recorded by a neighbor received nearly 9 million views on social media. Through the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, the women filed a Federal Tort Claims Act notice against U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Department of Homeland Security, seeking $3 million in damages and attorneys' fees.

Haitian asylum seeker Daphy Michel freezes to death days after ICE release in Pittsburgh

Mar 2, 2026Pittsburgh, PAHaiti

Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian asylum seeker who arrived at the southern border in 2022, died from hypothermia on March 2, 2026, after being released by ICE on February 27 or 28, 2026, under the Alternatives to Detention Program with an electronic ankle monitor. Michel had spent six months in Washington County Correctional Facility awaiting a preliminary hearing on misdemeanor charges stemming from an arrest for yelling due to untreated severe mental health issues. After her release, she was taken approximately 25 miles away to Pittsburgh and left at a bus shelter in sub-freezing temperatures (20–30°F) while wearing summer clothes, where she spent 24 to 30 hours alone before being found unresponsive. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. Her family plans to sue the U.S. government and other entities, alleging ICE failed to account for her severe vulnerability, including untreated mental health conditions and significant language barriers.

U.S. citizen Renée Good shot and killed by ICE agent during Minneapolis enforcement operation

Mar 2, 2026Minneapolis, MNVenezuela

On January 7, 2026, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renée Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, queer mother of three, and writer, in Minneapolis during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation called Operation Metro Surge. Good was in her vehicle when ICE agents approached; as she drove away, Ross fired shots through the windshield, striking her multiple times. Bystander and cell phone footage contradicted federal claims that Good had used her vehicle as a weapon. The shooting sparked national protests and investigations. Good's death, along with the killing of Alex Pretti within the same two-week period, contributed to the removal and demotion of Border Patrol Commander-at-large Gregory Bovino and the firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in March 2026.

238 Venezuelans deported to El Salvador prison, tortured and held incommunicado, judge orders return

Mar 2026Tecoluca, El SalvadorVenezuela

Between March and April 2025, the Trump administration deported 238-252 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) mega-prison using the Alien Enemies Act. Internal DHS data revealed that only 32 had been convicted of U.S. crimes, with most convictions being for nonviolent offenses, and more than half had no U.S. criminal record at all, having only violated immigration laws. Approximately 75% of deportees had no criminal records in the United States, and at least 27 were never ordered removed despite pending immigration court hearings. Detainees were held incommunicado with no public list of names, facing reports of torture, beatings, sexual violence, and inhumane conditions including prolonged solitary confinement. The U.S. paid $6 million to use the facility for housing 300 migrants. A federal judge initially ordered the planes turned around and ruled the deportations violated due process. After approximately four months, the Venezuelans were transferred to Venezuela as part of a prisoner exchange, though the administration reported losing track of 137 migrants. In 2026, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of over 130 of these men to the United States for their immigration proceedings.

Peruvian asylum-seeking family separated and detained at immigration appointment

Mar 1, 2026Thousand Oaks, CAPeru

Jonathan, Joani, and their 2.5-year-old son Kaleth, asylum seekers from Peru, were detained by ICE officers in March 2026 after arriving at a scheduled immigration appointment in Thousand Oaks. The family was separated across state lines: Joani and Kaleth were sent to Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas for two weeks, while Jonathan was sent to Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California for over a month. During detention, Jonathan reported delays in medical care, mistreatment including food being thrown at detainees, and being placed in a cold room as alleged punishment for calling his lawyer. Joani reported the facility conditions were poor, with inedible food, non-drinkable water, constant lighting preventing sleep, and her young son becoming ill and refusing to eat. The family was eventually released through legal intervention and community support.

Activist's phone seized at airport without warrant, subjected to pattern of federal harassment

Mar 2026Los Angeles, CA

Mitch Lillie, a VC Defensa volunteer, had his phone seized by Customs and Border Protection agents at Los Angeles airport in March 2026 without a warrant. This was part of a broader pattern of federal targeting that began in May 2025, when Lillie received over 80 calls from unknown and blocked numbers with callers telling him to stop participating in ICE-watch patrols. Lillie alleges the incidents represent government repression of activist organizing.

Immigrant chained to hospital bed by ICE agents, MALDEF files claim for damages

Mar 2026San Francisco, CA

Bayron Rovidio Marin, an immigrant, was detained by federal agents in unmarked vehicles and sustained serious injuries. He was admitted to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center from August 27 to October 7, 2025, where ICE agents were stationed in his room under constant guard. During his hospitalization, hospital staff allowed federal agents to dictate his medical treatment, chain him to a bed, medicate him, and question him about his immigration status while restricting his access to family and attorneys. MALDEF filed a claim under California's Tort Claims Act seeking $250,000 in damages against Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for discriminatory treatment, privacy violations, and unlawful cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

32 arrested in Chicago ICE operation violated consent decree, federal judge rules

Feb 28, 2026Chicago, IL

A federal judge ruled that at least 32 people arrested during Operation Midway Blitz, a major ICE enforcement action in the Chicago area between June 2025 and October 2025, had their arrests violated a 2022 consent decree governing warrantless apprehensions. Among those improperly arrested were Jose Miguel Jimenez and Jeickson Delgado Avila, undocumented immigrants detained during a September 29 raid on an apartment building at 75th and South Shore Drive when ICE agents rappelled from helicopters and broke down doors. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings found the arrests lacked sufficient probable cause that individuals were flight risks, as required by the Castañon Nava consent decree, and that agents provided no justification for their assessments. Of the 32 improperly arrested, 11 are believed to still be in detention, 11 have left the country, and 10 have been released under various conditions. The judge also rejected a recent agency directive that sought to give immigration agents more discretion to make warrantless arrests.

U.S. citizen landscaper tackled without warrant, joins federal class-action lawsuit in North Carolina

Feb 28, 2026Charlotte, NC

Yoshi Cuenca Villamar, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen and landscaper from Charlotte, was tackled by immigration agents while working during warrantless enforcement operations across North Carolina in late 2025. Villamar is one of five plaintiffs—four U.S. citizens and a visa holder—who filed a federal class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina on February 28, 2026, against the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, CBP, and USBP. The lawsuit alleges the agencies conducted unlawful warrantless arrests without probable cause during and after Operation Charlotte's Web. ICE arrested 3,304 people in North Carolina between January and October 2025, more than 2.8 times the total during the same period in 2024. The lawsuit seeks to declare the warrantless arrest policy unlawful and block the agencies from continuing such arrests.

Columbia student detained by DHS without warrant, released after NYC mayor's intervention with Trump

Feb 27, 2026New York, NYAzerbaijan

Elaina Aghayeva, an Azerbaijani national and senior neuroscience researcher at Columbia University, was detained by Department of Homeland Security agents at a university residential building on February 26-27, 2026. DHS agents entered without a warrant and falsely claimed to be searching for a missing child. DHS stated Aghayeva's student visa had been terminated in 2016 for failing to attend classes, though her attorney and the university stated she was a current student in good standing. After approximately nine hours in custody, Aghayeva was released following intervention by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who met with President Trump regarding the case. Aghayeva's attorney filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court, and the detention prompted student protests at Columbia University.

Woman deported to undisclosed location despite court order prohibiting deportation

Feb 27, 2026Bowie, MDSierra Leone

Rabbiatu Kuyateh, a 58-year-old woman from Sierra Leone working as a nurse, was detained during a routine ICE check-in in July 2025. Despite a U.S. court order prohibiting her return to Sierra Leone, ICE deported her to an undisclosed location. She was held in shackles during a 10-hour flight. Videos documented her being dragged by individuals after resisting deportation. Her son contacted CASA seeking her return to the United States.

Officials detain and cite volunteers documenting ICE arrests

Feb 27, 2026San Diego, CA

Four volunteers were detained and cited by Federal Protective Service officers at the San Diego federal building after an overnight rule change prohibited standing in hallways. The volunteers, who had been documenting ICE arrests and supporting immigrants at court hearings for months, were cited for failure to comply with official signs and directions, each receiving a $284 fine. Faith volunteers attempting to support immigrants in the building were also confronted by officers.

U.S. citizen's truck window smashed by ICE agents, detained and released bleeding, files $1.25M lawsuit

Feb 27, 2026Charlotte, NCHonduras

Willy Wender Aceituno, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Honduran descent who has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for over 25 years, was arrested by ICE and DHS agents in November 2025 without a warrant. During the encounter, agents smashed his truck window with a baton and forcibly removed him from the vehicle despite him showing them his REAL ID confirming his citizenship. When Aceituno began filming the agents on his phone, they threw him onto the broken glass, handcuffed him, and transported him approximately two miles away before releasing him bleeding on the side of the road. The incident triggered childhood trauma from witnessing his father's arrest and disappearance by the Honduran military. In February 2026, Aceituno filed a $1.25 million lawsuit against federal immigration authorities alleging violations of constitutional amendments and claims of assault, battery, false imprisonment, and negligent supervision. Aceituno is the lead plaintiff in a federal class-action lawsuit with the ACLU alleging that ICE and CBP agents made warrantless arrests without probable cause across North Carolina.

Nursing Student Ahmed Detained by ICE During Immigration Check-in

Feb 27, 2026New HampshireKenya

Ahmed, a nursing student and certified nursing assistant with legal status and a work permit, was detained by ICE while attending a routine immigration check-in. He immigrated to the United States around 2023 from Dadaab refugee camps. Project Relief is raising funds for legal representation to secure his release and prevent his transfer to another state.

Truck driver Suraj Vasal wins third court order for bond hearing

Feb 27, 2026Polk County, IAIndia

Suraj Vasal, an Indian national detained by ICE after a February traffic stop, secured a third judicial order for a bond hearing after U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher ruled the government violated his due process rights. Locher rejected arguments that the government could retroactively change decades of practice regarding bond hearings for detainees and noted Vasal is gainfully employed with no evidence of being a flight risk. The judge ordered the government to provide a hearing by April 30, 2026, or immediately release Vasal from the Polk County Jail.

ICE car chase injures children and van driver in Newark multi-vehicle crash

Feb 26, 2026Newark, New Jersey

An ICE enforcement operation in Newark, New Jersey on February 25-26, 2026 resulted in a multi-vehicle crash with injuries. ICE agents attempted to pull over a van during an arrest operation near a bus stop where fourth and fifth grade students were waiting for their school bus early Thursday morning. When the driver fled, the pursuit caused a crash involving multiple vehicles, including one carrying three children who were injured. The van driver was also injured and taken to the hospital. Armed and masked ICE agents were present near the bus stop, with some students reporting that agents followed them home. Ring camera footage captured the incident. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka criticized ICE's actions as reckless and dangerous, stating the operation violated New Jersey state law prohibiting law enforcement vehicle pursuits in densely populated areas without an immediate threat to public safety.

Columbia student arrested by ICE agents who impersonated NYPD to enter dorm

Feb 26, 2026New York, NYAzerbaijan

Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia University General Studies student from Azerbaijan, was arrested by ICE agents early Thursday morning at her university-owned residence. According to University President Claire Shipman, federal agents impersonated New York Police Department officers to gain entry to the building. Aghayeva was released from ICE custody Thursday afternoon and posted on Instagram that she was "safe and okay." Her student visa had been terminated in 2016 for failing to attend classes.

Uber driver detained 56 days by ICE after wrongful shoplifting arrest, sues Cranston Police

Feb 26, 2026Cranston, RI

Ramon Checo Hilario was arrested on February 26, 2026, on shoplifting charges at a Cranston Sunglass Hut based on a flawed police investigation that failed to properly compare surveillance footage with his license photograph. After his arraignment, ICE detained him for 56 days in Plymouth, Massachusetts, pending deportation. The shoplifting charge was dismissed in the interest of justice, and Hilario has since been released on bond. He is now suing the Cranston Police Department, the city, Sunglass Hut, and others for false arrest, negligence, malicious prosecution, and emotional distress.

Naturalized U.S. Citizen Violently Detained by ICE Despite Valid ID

Feb 25, 2026Brooklyn Park, MNLiberia

Emmanuel Sackie, a Liberian-born naturalized U.S. citizen, was violently detained by ICE in a Family Dollar parking lot in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, despite possessing a driver's license and photo ID. He was taken to an unknown location and subsequently sent to the hospital. Sackie stated this was his first time in handcuffs and expressed that he was treated unfairly based on his race.

ICE agents pepper-spray 80-year-old attorney during Santa Barbara arrest

Feb 25, 2026Santa Barbara, CA

ICE agents arrested 27-year-old Jack Randmaa on suspicion of vandalism after his tire was allegedly slashed on Carrillo Street in Santa Barbara on February 21, 2026. During the arrest near the Santa Barbara County Probation Office, an ICE agent pepper-sprayed and threw 80-year-old criminal defense attorney Doug Hayes to the ground as he attempted to retrieve Randmaa's backpack and cellphone. Hayes, who verbally confronted the agents during the detention, stated he would pursue criminal and civil rights lawsuits against the federal agents, claiming they interfered with his ability to speak freely and violated his client's rights. Bystanders recorded the encounter. ICE agents conducted an enforcement operation in downtown Santa Barbara on February 19, 2026, involving the detention of a man accused of vandalizing a federal vehicle. During the arrest, ICE agents placed the suspect in a headlock. When defense attorney Doug Hayes and other bystanders intervened, agents pepper-sprayed Hayes and at least one other person. The incident occurred outside the Santa Barbara County Probation Office on Carrillo Street, with crowds gathering to record and protest the enforcement activity.

ICE arrests four at Mecklenburg County Courthouse as lawyers intervene

Feb 25, 2026Charlotte, NCVenezuela

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested four people at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse on Tuesday. Three attorneys were present during the arrests and were accused of interfering, with one attorney attempting to physically stop the process. ICE warned that anyone impeding arrests in the future could face arrest themselves. Federal authorities have opened a criminal investigation into whether two ICE officers committed perjury by lying under oath about a shooting in Minneapolis. All charges were dropped against two Venezuelan men involved in the incident.

ACLU lawyer describes inhumane conditions at Michigan ICE detention center

Feb 24, 2026Baldwin, MIVenezuela

An ACLU legal fellow visited the North Lake Processing Center in Michigan to meet with a detained Venezuelan woman seeking asylum. The author describes arbitrary security screening practices, including being required to remove her underwire bra, and documents severe detention conditions including inadequate food, limited outdoor access, medication costs passed to detainees, and a recent death at the facility. The detained woman, who entered the U.S. legally through CBP One screening and a port of entry, was separated from her 3-month-old infant after a false accusation by an abusive ex-partner and faces an impossible choice between deportation to Venezuela or relocation to Ecuador without her child.

Judge Orders ICE Release of Eduardo Tinajero Rodriguez, Questions Conviction Record

Feb 24, 2026Charleston, WV

A West Virginia federal judge ordered the immediate release of Eduardo Tinajero Rodriguez from ICE custody, finding his detention violated federal law and the Constitution. The judge found serious procedural failures including ICE's use of a document showing marijuana convictions from 2009 when Rodriguez was only four years old. Rodriguez was detained following a traffic stop based on an illegible license plate and an officer's call to ICE due to a language barrier.

Five Individuals Sue DHS Over Warrantless North Carolina Arrests

Feb 24, 2026North Carolina

A class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of five individuals against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its agencies (ICE, CBP, USBP) for conducting warrantless immigration arrests across North Carolina. The plaintiffs include U.S. citizens and a visa holder who were arrested without legal justification during enforcement operations in Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, and other communities. The lawsuit challenges the conduct of warrantless arrests.

Army veteran detained by ICE despite U.S. citizenship claims, files federal lawsuit

Feb 24, 2026Camarillo, CA

George Retes, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen and Army veteran, was detained by ICE agents on July 10, 2025, during a workplace raid at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, Ventura County, California. Despite repeatedly identifying himself as a U.S. citizen, he was pulled from his car, tear-gassed, and arrested without being told why he was detained. He was taken to a Navy base for DNA collection, then held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles for three days without access to phone calls, legal representation, a shower, or a judge appearance before being released without charges. Retes filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act, challenging the Trump administration's claimed absolute immunity for immigration enforcement officers. In February 2026, he attended the State of the Union as a guest of Rep. Mark Takano.

U visa holder arrested without warrant during North Carolina immigration enforcement sweep

Feb 24, 2026NC

Ruben Arguera Lopez, 39, a cook who holds a U visa for crime victims who assist law enforcement, was arrested without a warrant by ICE and CBP agents during immigration enforcement operations in North Carolina. He has lived in Charlotte for 15 years and obtained humanitarian protection after helping law enforcement investigate a serious crime. He is one of five plaintiffs—including four U.S. citizens—in a federal class-action lawsuit filed in February 2026 against the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, CBP, and Border Patrol, alleging that agents made warrantless arrests without probable cause. The lawsuit covers arrests made between January 20 and October 15, 2025, during which ICE arrested 3,304 people in North Carolina, more than 2.8 times the total during the same period in 2024.

Mother and three children detained by ICE in Alaska, two youngest deported within 36 hours

Feb 24, 2026Soldotna, AKMexico

On February 17, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Sonia Espinoza Arriaga, a Mexican national, and her three children (ages 5, 16, and 18) in Soldotna, Alaska. The family had entered the United States in 2023 and declared themselves at the border seeking protection. Arriaga was married to a U.S. citizen and had been in regular contact with her immigration attorney, who believed no enforcement action would occur for 90 days. The detention followed Arriaga's missed immigration court hearing in January due to miscommunication about the date. Within 36 hours of detention, Arriaga and her two youngest children were deported to Tijuana, Mexico, while her 18-year-old son was transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. An immigration attorney filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of the detention, and the rapid deportation prompted an Alaska House Judiciary Committee investigation into ICE activity in the state.

ICE Whistleblower Testifies Before Congressional Democrats

Feb 23, 2026

An ICE whistleblower testified before Congressional Democrats during a public forum titled "Our Values at Stake Pt. III: Terrorizing Communities Without Warrants and No Restraint." The whistleblower discussed concerns about defective training practices within the agency.

Pregnant woman deported at 8 months, concealed from congressional inspection

Feb 23, 2026Dilley, TXGuatemala

Juana Felipe Mateo, a Guatemalan mother of two, was deported from the South Texas Family Residential Center (Dilley) while 8 months pregnant with a third child after three months in detention. She alleges ICE and DHS deceived her into signing voluntary departure papers by offering $15,000 (which she says she never received) and obtaining a doctor's authorization to fly despite her advanced pregnancy. Juana reported that pregnant detainees, including herself, were hidden from U.S. Congressman Joaquín Castro during a facility inspection to prevent them from reporting lack of medical care and alleged mistreatment. She also described being placed in a cold room known as 'la hielera' for five days when her 2-year-old daughter developed fever. She learned of her unborn son's sex only on the day of her deportation.

ICE monitors San Diego activists through Operation Road Flare

Feb 23, 2026San Diego, CA

Court documents revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego conducted surveillance on activists through Operation Road Flare, targeting individuals who document ICE activities such as Jeane Wong and Arturo Gonzalez. The operation began monitoring activists on October 23, 2025, and documents describe confrontations at the 47th Street Trolley Station on November 18, 2025, where Wong was accused of throwing belongings at agents during a crowd altercation. Wong subsequently pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault on a federal officer and received home detention.

ICE detained Minnesota teen, lost him in Michigan shelter for over a week

Feb 22, 2026Minneapolis, MNEcuador

In early January 2026, 16-year-old Sebastian, an asylum-seeker from Ecuador, was detained by ICE agents in north Minneapolis. He was misclassified as an unaccompanied minor and transported to a Christian youth shelter in Michigan operated by Bethany Christian Services instead of standard immigration detention. Federal authorities lost track of his whereabouts for over a week while his family searched for him. His father and attorney conducted investigative work to locate him and secured his release through legal action.

Two Jamaican men beaten, maced for reporting abuse at detention center

Feb 22Moore Haven, FLJamaica

Two Jamaican men held at Glades County Detention Center reported abuse and were subsequently subjected to retaliatory use of force during placement in solitary confinement. One man was beaten and maced; the other had his head dragged on the ground. Freedom for Immigrants filed a civil rights complaint with DHS CRCL.

Man detained in ICE raid after door forced open, woman injured, family raises funds

Feb 20, 2026Lower Providence, PennsylvaniaMexico

On February 9, 2026, ICE agents conducted a raid at a home in Lower Providence Township, Pennsylvania, targeting Jose Manuel Cordova Lopez, 26, a Mexican national whose work visa expired in 2021. Agents arrived in unmarked vehicles and civilian clothes, forced entry by breaking down the door, and injured a woman identified as Lupe Lopez during the operation. She reported being hit in the head by an officer. Children in the home were left shaken. State Rep. Joe Webster stated agents did not initially have a warrant and described the operation as chaotic. Lopez was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and ramming an ICE vehicle. Following the raid, neighbors provided assistance with door repairs and supplies, and family members called for an independent investigation into the use of force. A GoFundMe established for the family raised more than $10,000.

Pregnant detainee Lucia denied prenatal care, miscarried while shackled in ICE custody

Feb 20, 2026Louisiana, LA

Lucia, a pregnant woman detained by ICE after appearing for a regular check-in appointment, began experiencing heavy vaginal bleeding in the middle of the night when she was two months pregnant. She requested immediate medical attention but was not taken to see medical staff for several hours. Instead, medical staff left her alone in a small room without food, water, or pain medication while she bled heavily. After significant blood loss, she was transported to an emergency room with her arms and legs shackled while actively miscarrying. She required a blood transfusion due to the miscarriage. She was returned to ICE custody and continued experiencing abdominal pain and heavy bleeding for another month before being deported.

Woman with valid visa shackled during cross-country transport while pregnant

Feb 20, 2026Louisiana, LA

Julieta, who held a valid visa, was detained for two months at Basile detention center. She was shackled at the ankles, hands, and waist during cross-country transport and feared that poor nutrition and the stress of detention could endanger her pregnancy.

Woman detained at routine ICE check-in, miscarries in detention, deported while recovering

Feb 20, 2026Louisiana

Alicia arrived for a routine ICE check-in in Louisiana and was detained without warning, then sent to Basile detention center. She soon discovered she was pregnant. She received small portions of poor-quality food that left her feeling weak and hungry. By May, she began experiencing severe abdominal pain, cramping, and bleeding. She was taken to a local hospital for a blood test but received no explanation of her medical treatment or interpretation. At the emergency room, medical personnel performed an invasive uterine test without her consent, injected her with an unknown medication, and informed her that she had miscarried. Despite this miscarriage, ICE returned her to Basile that night and detained her for two more months. She continued to experience heavy bleeding, swelling, fever, and severe uterine pain, submitting repeated sick call requests that went unanswered. In July 2025, ICE deported Alicia, separating her from her children, and she later sought hospital care for a severe infection acquired while in custody.

U.S. citizen arrested while 9 months pregnant, held by ICE before release after citizenship confirmed

Feb 20, 2026Hawthorne, CAGuatemala

Cary López Alvarado, a U.S. citizen from Hawthorne, California, was arrested by ICE agents while nine months pregnant alongside her husband, an immigrant from Guatemala. ICE held her overnight but released her after discovering her citizenship status. Immediately after her release, Alvarado experienced sharp stomach pains and gave birth a few days later. Footage from the arrest shows federal agents restraining her with her hands held behind her back, despite guidance that officers should not use physical restraints on pregnant individuals. Her husband has since been deported, leaving Alvarado without income and relying on family to help care for her newborn. Alvarado is seeking $1 million in damages from Border Patrol and ICE agents, citing unconstitutional conduct and unlawful arrest.

Pregnant women detained at Dilley ICE facility despite federal policy prohibiting detention

Feb 20, 2026Dilley, TX

Federal judges have ordered the release of pregnant and nursing women held by ICE at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, citing violations of ICE Directive 11032.4, which prohibits detention of pregnant and nursing individuals. Congressman Joaquin Castro alleged that approximately eight pregnant women are currently being held at the facility and claimed they were hidden from his view during his visit. Castro reported cases of inadequate medical care, including a pregnant woman three months along experiencing heavy bleeding and a teenage boy not receiving proper medical attention for appendicitis. Over 1,000 pregnant, postpartum, and nursing individuals have been detained since Trump's second term began, with documented cases detailing severe conditions including miscarriages without proper medical care, shackling during pregnancy and labor, inadequate medical treatment, solitary confinement, forced family separations, and contaminated food.

Women allegedly followed in Santa Ana/Irvine area; details sought.

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Feb 19, 2026Santa Ana, CA

An incident occurred in the Santa Ana/Irvine area involving women who were allegedly let go and then followed or kidnapped. The poster sought to provide context about the incident and requested updates if the women created a fundraiser.

Kidney transplant recipient detained by ICE, denied anti-rejection medication for weeks

Feb 19, 2026Rochester, MNDominican Republic

Javier Abreu-Vasquez (also referred to as Javier Ubreu), a 38-year-old kidney transplant recipient from the Dominican Republic with legal status in the U.S., was arrested by ICE agents in Rochester, Minnesota on February 5 while delivering groceries for his church's mutual aid group after officers rammed his car and broke a window. He was transferred to a facility in El Paso, Texas, where he faced delays and reportedly incorrect dosages of the immunosuppressant medication needed to prevent rejection of his donated kidney. His wife and Minnesota state Rep. Kim Hicks attempted to deliver his medication to federal authorities but were initially turned away. After intervention from Senator Tina Smith's office and Mayo Clinic physicians, he gained access to medication, and a federal judge ordered his release on bond. His attorney confirmed he has no prior criminal convictions. He returned home to Rochester on February 19 after roughly two weeks in custody, with next steps in his immigration case unclear.

Two-month-old Juan Nicolás deported hours after hospital discharge for bronchitis, left with $190 in Mexico

Feb 18, 2026Dilley, TXMexico

Juan Nicolás, a two-month-old infant, was deported to Mexico on February 8, 2026, hours after being discharged from hospital treatment for bronchitis and respiratory illness. He was detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, alongside his mother Mireya López Sánchez and 16-month-old sister after his mother was apprehended near Eagle Pass on January 21 while seeking asylum. During detention, Juan Nicolás developed severe breathing problems, vomiting, and gastroesophageal reflux disease; his mother reported he became unresponsive and was "choking on his own vomit" while hospitalized. After hospital discharge, he was immediately deported with only $190 from the family's detention commissary account. With assistance from journalist Lidia Terrazas and advocacy groups, the family secured shelter and medical care, where Juan Nicolás was diagnosed with RSV and severe bronchiolitis. The family later relocated to Guatemala where they have relatives. Rep. Joaquin Castro criticized the deportation as "heinous."

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