Human Impact Project

Patricia Vázquez Topete, a DACA recipient who lived in California for 20 years, left the U.S. in May 2025 amid uncertainty over DACA's future and immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. She had come to the U.S. at age 12 after fleeing abuse in Mexico, was raised by an uncle in the Central Valley, worked in the strawberry fields of Salinas, and earned a scholarship to Fresno Pacific University before building a career in global banking. She has since settled in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, and is preparing to pursue a master's degree in international business in Spain.

Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a 19-year-old Dalton State Community College student, was arrested on May 5 after a traffic stop for an improper turn on red and driving without a license. Police dashcam footage later revealed the officer had stopped the wrong vehicle—a black pickup truck committed the violation, not Arias-Cristobal's dark gray truck. Though local charges were dropped, she remains in ICE custody at Stewart Detention Center facing deportation proceedings.

Luis Fernando Cabrera, an 18-year-old senior at Northeast Early College High School in Austin, was released from ICE custody on May 20, 2026, after being detained on May 1 while driving home from his job at Popeyes. A federal judge ordered his release and barred the Department of Homeland Security from deporting him while his ongoing asylum case is processed. Cabrera will be able to attend his high school graduation.

Priya Saxena, an Indian graduate student at South Dakota Mines, received notification on April 7, 2025 that her visa was revoked as part of a Trump administration criminal records check of international students. The revocation was triggered by a misdemeanor traffic conviction from 2021 for failing to pull over for an emergency vehicle in Meade County; a related DUI charge from the same traffic stop was dismissed after her blood alcohol tested within the legal limit. Saxena had previously disclosed these legal matters when obtaining her most recent visa in 2022. She filed a temporary restraining order against the government seeking a court order to remain in the country after completing her master's and doctoral degrees at the institution.

Felipe Zapata Velásquez, 27, a food and resource economics student who transferred to the University of Florida after graduating from Santa Fe College in 2023, was arrested by Gainesville police on March 28 for driving with an expired license and registration. He was turned over to ICE custody and held at the Krome Detention Center in Miami before voluntarily departing for Colombia on April 6, according to an ICE spokesperson. ICE said his F-1 student status had been terminated in October 2024 for failing to enroll in SEVIS, though a University of Florida spokesperson said he was enrolled both last fall and currently. His case was among nearly 300 international student visa terminations amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, and appears to be the first such case involving a Florida college student. His mother, Claudia Velázquez, said he is undergoing physical and emotional recovery in Colombia, and Rep. Maxwell Frost criticized the action as part of the broader crackdown on foreign students.

Jaime Cabriales-Carlos, a graduate student at UTSA, was detained by ICE on March 28th following a traffic stop in San Antonio and taken to the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center. He came to the United States at age three, earned his undergraduate degree from UT Rio Grande Valley, and was pursuing a scholarship-funded master's degree at UTSA when detained. He is the oldest of four siblings, one of whom serves in the U.S. Army, and has an immigration court hearing scheduled for the coming week.

Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama from Iran, was detained by ICE agents on March 25, 2025, around 3-5 a.m. at his home after the State Department revoked his F-1 student visa. Doroudi had entered the U.S. in January 2023 and his visa was revoked six months after arrival, though university international student services advised he could remain legally if he maintained student status. DHS cited national security concerns as the basis for the detention and visa revocation, but provided no specific allegations. Doroudi's immigration attorney stated he is unaware of any such concerns. He is being held at the Jena/LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana.

Ricardo Navarrete, an 18-year-old Chicago high school senior, and his mother Liliana were detained outside Chicago Immigration Court on March 16 after being told to come sign papers. Both had active asylum cases and no criminal records. They were from Colombia and arrived in the U.S. in 2022. Ricardo has been transported multiple times between facilities and placed in solitary confinement; he and his mother are currently separated in different facilities in Kentucky.

M.K., a lawful permanent resident and student at Columbia University, was arrested by ICE on March 8, 2025, at his student housing with no prior notice. According to his habeas corpus petition, DHS agents initially claimed his student visa had been revoked, but M.K. presented documents proving he is a green card holder. The agents arrested him anyway, claiming his green card had been revoked without providing any basis for the revocation. M.K. is married to a U.S. citizen who is 8 months pregnant. His petition alleges the arrest and detention violate his First Amendment and Due Process rights and claims the government is using immigration enforcement to suppress student activism and political speech.

A.G., a Venezuelan national with Temporary Protected Status and a pending asylum application, was detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop in Orange County while driving to work. Despite holding a valid driver's license, work permit, and Social Security card, he was handcuffed and held in ICE custody for several days. During detention, ICE repeatedly pressured him to self-deport. He was released on his own recognizance with assistance from Rep. Anna Eskamani and legal advocates.

Lewelyn Dixon, a 64-year-old green card holder and University of Washington lab technician, was detained by ICE on February 28, 2025, after returning from the Philippines, following discovery of a 2000 embezzlement conviction by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Dixon had lived legally in the United States for over 50 years and completed restitution on her conviction in 2019. She is currently held at the Northwest ICE Detention Facility and is not bond eligible, with her first hearing scheduled for July 17. Her family and supporters have called for her release.