Human Impact Project

Diana Vera, a 27-year-old Ecuadorian woman, was detained by ICE at the Phoenix airport while traveling with her husband, a U.S. citizen, to celebrate his birthday. According to her mother, Mercedes Espinoza, agents approached Vera, confirmed her name, and took her into custody, telling her husband they could not intervene despite him showing their marriage certificate. Vera had entered the U.S. legally on a visa and later married her husband, and the couple were in the process of regularizing her immigration status. The family launched a fundraising campaign to help cover legal defense costs while hoping she can be released on bail.

Iliana Noeli Lick, 30, an Argentine national who legally entered the U.S. on a tourist visa and was awaiting an asylum interview with USCIS, was arrested by ICE at Philadelphia International Airport on July 11 while attempting to travel to Kansas City to watch the Argentina national team play in the World Cup quarterfinal. Lick has worked as a nanny caring for three young children in South Philadelphia for two years and has no criminal record. She was transferred between multiple ICE detention facilities in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico, where she was held with nine others in a small cell with one window and one toilet. After one month in custody, Lick was released on a $10,000 bond and required to surrender her passport and license and wear an ankle monitor. She is awaiting a court date to determine whether she will be deported or allowed to remain in the country.

Debora Kapisha, a registered nurse from Zambia working at Maine Medical Center in Portland, was detained by ICE on July 30 at Boston Logan Airport after her visa expired in November 2024. According to ICE, she entered the U.S. on May 14, 2024, and remained in the country after her visa expiration. Kapisha maintained a valid registered nurse license since June 2025 with no disciplinary action and argued she had legal work authorization while her asylum case was being adjudicated. The Maine State Nurses Association organized a rally within 24 hours of learning of her detention and mobilized community support, with over 100 Maine Medical Center nurses and supporters protesting alongside Democratic officials including Senate nominee Troy Jackson and gubernatorial nominee Hannah Pingree, describing her as a trusted, compassionate caregiver whose absence affected patient care. She was released from ICE custody on August 7 following the protests. The union and MaineHealth are working to sponsor her for permanent resident status through an EB-3 visa, for which skilled nurses are eligible and exempt from standard labor certification requirements.

A pregnant woman was arrested by ICE at Harry Reid International Airport in late July after returning to the United States from a vacation in Las Vegas. She was detained on immigration charges related to allegedly overstaying her visa. Her fiancé expressed concern about whether he will be able to meet his child.

Andre Kalyakin entered the United States legally on a J-1 exchange visitor visa more than sixteen years ago and married a U.S. citizen. He is currently detained by ICE at Winn Correctional Center and reports being denied basic medical care, given spoiled milk, and brown tapwater while in custody. Kalyakin wrote a letter describing his detention conditions.

Berhanu Kibret, a pharmacy instructor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy since 2023, was detained by federal immigration agents at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on July 21, 2026, while returning from an American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy conference where he had just been honored as a teacher of the year. Authorities alleged he was undocumented and had overstayed a visa that expired May 31, 2024, despite his holding valid work authorization. University of Maryland officials described him as "an effective and beloved teacher" and a "highly valued" colleague. Kibret remained in detention following the arrest. His detention occurred the same day Ecuadorian traveler Chantal Morales Rojas was detained at Denver International Airport, amid a broader increase in ICE enforcement activity at U.S. airports.

Kaitlyn Tracey, a 33-year-old Canadian citizen, was arrested on July 3, 2026, after allegedly slapping a teenage girl twice on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk during Fourth of July weekend. The confrontation occurred after Tracey objected to the girl's sweatpants displaying political slogans and allegedly verbally harassed her about her clothing. Police documented the assault on video. Tracey had entered the U.S. on April 14, 2024, on a tourist visa that expired September 6, 2024, remaining in the country illegally. She was charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, and obstruction. On August 4, 2026, a federal immigration judge ordered her deportation to Canada after she pleaded guilty to assault; she received a one-day jail sentence credited to time served. Her husband, Matthew Geroni, a U.S. citizen married to Tracey for over three years, disputed the characterization of events and alleged the arrest was politically motivated, claiming the viral video had been taken out of context. He launched fundraising efforts and social media campaigns to secure her release, raising $4,857 toward a $10,000 goal.

Country music singer Frank Ray publicly disclosed that his brother-in-law, Juan Nevarez, a Mexican national with a valid work visa, was arrested by ICE at El Paso airport on Thanksgiving Day. Nevarez was detained at an ICE facility in Otero County, New Mexico, pending a hearing to determine his immigration status. DHS cited a criminal record from a 2023 dispute, though most charges were dropped and only a misdemeanor trespassing conviction remained. Nevarez's wife and four U.S. citizen children await resolution of the case.

The ACLU of Ohio filed a federal lawsuit alleging that ICE agents repeatedly violated federal law by making warrantless arrests without determining flight risk, detained individuals for weeks or months, and mistreated detainees. The lawsuit details cases involving people with valid visas, work permits, and U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico, suggesting possible racial profiling. The plaintiffs seek class action status and want courts to stop warrantless arrests and require compensation for those improperly detained.

A man deported to Mexico after being detained at Camp Pendleton is suing ICE and DHS for violating federal law and his rights. He and his wife were detained despite having pending U visa applications and work permits that should have provided protection from enforcement. His son, a former Marine Sergeant, claims the family faced discrimination and false accusations of criminal activity.

Iemad Saifo, a 65-year-old Syrian-born chef who owns Zena's American Mediterranean Cuisine and Catering in Collingswood, New Jersey, was detained by ICE during what he believed was a routine check-in, despite having a pending immigration case with a December court date. Saifo came to the U.S. in 2002 on a B1/B2 visa, is the primary caregiver for his son with autism, and suffers from a rare neurological condition and chronic kidney disease. His wife and four children are U.S. citizens, and a residency petition filed by his U.S. citizen son had cleared its first approval stage. He was taken to Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, and his attorneys filed an emergency habeas petition after which a federal judge barred ICE from transferring him out of state. A petition supporting him gathered more than 12,500 signatures, drawing support including from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and over 150 notarized letters from community members. An immigration judge granted bond and he was released, with his daughter saying, 'We are so relieved to have him safely back home as the immigration process continues.'

Gevush Gabrielyan is a citizen of Armenia who was admitted to the United States in February 2013 and has lived in the U.S. for over 13 years. He was placed into removal proceedings in 2023 and found removable by an immigration judge in September 2023. The Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed this determination in January 2024. In April 2024, an immigration judge released Gabrielyan from custody on a $20,000 bond with an order of supervision, which he complied with for over two years. On July 30, 2026, Gabrielyan was unexpectedly detained by ICE during a routine check-in. He is married to a United States citizen, and his wife is due to give birth to their first child on August 17, 2026. On August 4, 2026, a federal judge granted Gabrielyan's motion for a preliminary injunction, ordering his immediate release based on a violation of his due process rights, as he was re-detained without a pre-deprivation hearing before a neutral decision-maker.

Iryna Gorb, a 38-year-old Ukrainian photographer and barista, was arrested by plainclothes ICE agents at San Francisco International Airport on July 22-23, 2026, as she returned from Portland. Gorb had lawfully entered the United States on a visa on July 6, 2010, which expired on May 31, 2011, and had lived in San Francisco for over 15 years working at Better Half Cafe in the Polk Gulch neighborhood while also selling repurposed vintage clothing and doing photography work. Video recorded by Richmond City Councilmember Doria Robinson shows plainclothes agents pinning Gorb to the ground while she screamed "You're choking me!" and pleaded for help. Witnesses reported the agents did not display clear identification. After her arrest, Gorb was transferred to California City Detention Facility in the Mojave Desert, where she remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. Her family home in Kharkiv was destroyed in Russian attacks, and she had been using nearly all her earnings to support family members who fled to Europe. Friend Andy Eblin described her as "fiercely loyal, always willing to help friends." State Sen. Scott Wiener condemned the arrest and noted that deporting Gorb to Ukraine would send her to a war zone. Gorb is working with attorneys on a petition for her release, and a GoFundMe campaign has raised over $47,000 to support her legal defense.

A 14-year-old Brazilian girl with an expired visitor visa was detained by ICE agents on March 11 in a parking lot outside Bethel Presbyterian Church in Marlboro, Massachusetts, after a car was pulled over. Her attorney stated she was with her U.S. citizen brothers, though DHS disputed this account, claiming she was with two Brazilian men suspected of gang ties with no familial relationship to her. ICE said the men's vehicle was connected to an alleged attempted home invasion in Walpole. The girl was taken to the JFK federal building in Boston for 10 hours, then transported overnight to a children's detention facility in New York. At a hearing, Federal Judge Leo T. Sorokin expressed concern about the detention and overnight transfer, stating it was the first time in his 22 years on the bench that he had seen agents detain a juvenile solely because no appropriate person was available to release her to. He ordered her immediate return to Massachusetts, and she was reunited with her maternal aunt, a U.S. citizen, at the JFK building in Boston.

Daniela Murillo Narvaez is a 30-year-old Colombian citizen who has lived in the United States since March 2023, when she was admitted on a B-2 visitor visa. She filed an asylum application in June 2023 that remained pending for over one year. Narvaez has been employed since April 2024 as a Distribution Analyst with Cordiasla USA in Texas and has a partner residing in California. She has no criminal history and has been treated for depression and anxiety with bupropion medication since 2024. On July 28, 2026, while traveling for work from Houston to Ontario, California, ICE agents detained Narvaez upon her arrival at Ontario International Airport without advance notice or a pre-deprivation hearing, and confiscated her documents. She was transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center where she has been held for over one week without receiving her required psychiatric medication, which her physician warned could result in serious health risks if interrupted. Narvaez filed an ex parte application for a temporary restraining order seeking immediate release from detention. On August 10, 2026, the federal court granted her application, ordering her immediate release under the same terms as before her detention, requiring return of seized property, and prohibiting re-detention without notice and a pre-deprivation hearing before a neutral adjudicator.

Juan Carlos Pichardo Mejia, a Mexican national who entered the United States in 2006, was detained by ICE on July 28, 2026, and held at the Farmville Detention Center. He filed a habeas corpus petition on August 1, 2026, challenging his detention and seeking either release or a bond hearing before an Immigration Judge. The respondents argued he was properly detained under the mandatory detention provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) because he entered without inspection. The federal court granted his petition, finding that because Pichardo Mejia entered the country in 2006 and was already present in the United States, he falls under the category of noncitizens already in the country subject to discretionary detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), not mandatory detention. The court ordered that he be provided with a bond hearing before an Immigration Judge within seven days and enjoined respondents from denying bond based on § 1225(b)(2).

Ezzat Adel Abdalla Magly, an Egyptian national, is detained at the Western Tennessee Detention Facility pending removal proceedings. He filed a habeas corpus petition seeking release from custody or a bond hearing, along with a motion for temporary restraining order to prevent transfer outside the district. The court denied his motion for temporary restraining order, finding he failed to demonstrate irreparable harm from a potential transfer.

Ronald Javier Vallejos is a native and citizen of Nicaragua who was ordered removed from the United States in 2012 and appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals. The removal order became final in 2014. After 2014, Vallejos was released under an Order of Supervision and remained under supervision for nearly fifteen years. On July 27, 2026, Vallejos reported for a routine ICE check-in, where he was detained and subsequently transferred to River Correctional Facility where he remains. Vallejos filed a motion for a temporary restraining order seeking release under supervision, a detention hearing, and an injunction against removal from the United States or outside the Western District. The court denied his motion, finding that the requested preliminary relief mirrored the ultimate relief sought in his habeas corpus petition and should be addressed through standard habeas procedures rather than as an emergency TRO.

Houman Rashidy, an Iranian citizen, was detained at Torrance County Detention Facility for approximately 13 months pending removal. On July 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Kea W. Riggs granted Rashidy's petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, ordering his release. The court found no significant likelihood of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future, as removal to Iran is withheld and three countries (Canada, Brazil, Honduras) refused to accept him.

Fredysel Nucamendi Castillejos, a native and citizen of Mexico, has been present in the United States since 2018. On July 24, 2026, he was detained by immigration officials in Ocean City, Maryland and taken into custody at the Farmville Detention Center in Virginia, where he remained for over a week. Castillejos filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his classification as an "applicant for admission" subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2), arguing instead that he should be subject to discretionary detention under § 1226(a) with the right to a bond hearing. The federal government argued that anyone in the United States without lawful admission is subject to mandatory detention. The district court agreed with Castillejos, finding that § 1226(a) is the applicable detention scheme for noncitizens already present in the country. The court granted the habeas petition, ordering Castillejos be released from custody and provided an individualized bond hearing before an Immigration Judge within 14 days, where the judge must determine whether he poses a danger or is a flight risk.

Yasmin Suarez Reyes, a 45-year-old Venezuelan citizen with dual Spanish citizenship, was arrested by ICE agents at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport on July 24, 2026, while preparing to travel with her fiancé, Texas businessman John Gannon. Suarez Reyes entered the U.S. legally in October 2023 under the Visa Waiver Program and filed for asylum in January 2024 before her initial 90-day stay expired. While her asylum case remained pending, she obtained a work permit and Texas driver's license and had no criminal record. According to Gannon, ICE officers "swarmed" Suarez Reyes without explanation and "wrestled her off into a car." DHS said she was detained for illegal overstay after her lawful admission expired on January 19, 2024, noting that pending asylum applications do not confer legal status. Suarez Reyes was being held at Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas for deportation processing. Gannon told media he regretted voting for Trump, saying agents are "picking up law-abiding citizens" and "destroying families."

Pastors Nepthalí Zozaya Saucedo and Cinthia Saraí Cardona Otero, who have served at Comunidad Cristiana Emanuel Assemblies of God in Edinburg, Texas for over 10 years, were detained by ICE on July 23, 2026, at McAllen International Airport while traveling to a marriage retreat in North Carolina. According to church leaders, the couple held valid R-1 religious worker visas. The pastors and their church representatives reported that ICE agents pressured them to sign voluntary deportation papers under threat of separation from their three U.S. citizen children at a U.S. Border Patrol processing center in McAllen. DHS claimed the pastors overstayed their visas. Faith leaders, including the Assemblies of God and Latino Christian National Network, called for their immediate release and an investigation into ICE's conduct.

Gildardo Perez Ramos, a Guatemalan national who entered the United States in approximately 2021, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Petitioner challenged his detention, arguing he should be governed by the discretionary detention provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) rather than the mandatory detention provisions of § 1225(b)(2). The court granted his petition, ruling that because Petitioner was already in the country prior to detention, he falls under § 1226(a) as a noncitizen already in the country and is entitled to a bond hearing before an immigration judge within seven days.

Mirotabek Khalimov, a noncitizen, was detained at Clay County Detention Center by ICE under the authority of jail commander Brandon Crowley and others. The court found that the weight of authority supports Khalimov's position that ICE's detention authority derives from 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) rather than § 1225(b), making him entitled to a bond hearing rather than subject to mandatory detention. The court granted a preliminary injunction preventing his transfer outside Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin during the habeas petition proceedings and ordered respondents to answer the petition within seven days.

Akmalkhon Ahmadkhon Ugli Ismailov, a native and citizen of Uzbekistan, was detained by ICE on July 22, 2026, when he reported to the ICE field office in Philadelphia as required by his supervision conditions. He had been living in the United States for over one year and was enrolled in ICE's ATD/ISAP supervision program after being released from immigration custody in July 2025, during which time he complied with all supervision requirements. The court granted his habeas petition, finding he was not subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) and ordered his immediate release on pre-July 22 supervision conditions.

Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego and Daniel Tirado Pantoja, both Mexican citizens who had lived in the United States for decades without criminal records, were rear passengers in a van driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo when ICE agents fatally shot the driver on July 7, 2026, in Houston. Both men were detained by ICE following the incident. In their federal court statements, both witnesses contradicted the government's account of the shooting. Rojas Pliego, who is in a common-law marriage with a U.S. citizen and has seven U.S. citizen children and stepchildren, described unmarked ICE vehicles cornering the van and stated it was "impossible" that officers were in danger after the driver stopped. He reported being pulled from the vehicle, handcuffed, and thrown to the ground by the officer who fired the shots. Tirado Pantoja, described by his employer as a devoted family man with integrity and dedication, stated that agents were positioned only to the sides of the van and that Salgado Araujo had come to a full stop before being shot. Both men filed habeas corpus petitions challenging their confinement and applied for U visas for crime victims who assist law enforcement. On July 21, 2026, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison ordered the Department of Homeland Security not to deport either witness or transfer them outside the Southern District of Texas without court permission while their habeas petitions are pending.

Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas, a 27-year-old Ecuadorian au pair and software developer, was detained by plainclothes ICE agents at Denver International Airport while boarding a Southwest Airlines flight to Oakland. She had entered the U.S. lawfully on a J-1 exchange visitor visa in early 2023 and, before that visa expired, filed an immigration application allowing her to remain with federal authorization while her case was pending, according to her attorney Laura Lichter. ICE alleged she had overstayed her visa, but Lichter said Rojas "followed the rules of her program" and worked legally under federal employment authorization as a software developer for a recycling app company in Oakland. Agents in civilian clothing removed her from the jetway and placed her in a Homeland Security van as friends and fellow passengers watched, and the arrest was captured on video that circulated widely amid a broader increase in ICE enforcement at U.S. airports. She was transferred to the Aurora ICE Processing Center, where a federal immigration judge later ordered her release on a $3,000 bond. The family she worked for said, "She is a part of my family. She has never hurt anyone and just lives a quiet life. She came here legally and tried to do everything right."

Omer Sariboga, a Turkish national, is an immigration detainee held at Mesa Verde Detention Center. He was previously released from immigration detention pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) but was subsequently re-detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A). Sariboga filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging his detention without a bond hearing. The court granted his petition, finding that the Due Process Clause requires a bond hearing where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he is a flight risk or danger to the community. The court ordered respondents to provide Sariboga with a bond hearing before a neutral decisionmaker within ten days, with the government bearing the burden of proof. The court directed that Sariboga be given 72 hours' written notice in a language he can understand, may be represented by an attorney, and that the decisionmaker must consider his financial circumstances when setting bond or alternative release conditions. If respondents fail to provide the hearing within ten days, they must release him.

Yevhenii Saienko is a Ukrainian citizen who fled Russia's invasion in early 2024 after his home in Luhansk was destroyed by a Russian missile. He arrived in the United States on February 28, 2024 with DHS travel authorization and was granted parole under the Uniting for Ukraine program. Over more than two years in the US, Saienko obtained employment as a commercial truck driver, paid taxes, developed strong community ties, and committed no criminal offense. On July 19, 2026, local law enforcement in Cheyenne, Wyoming detained him during a routine traffic stop after learning he lacked lawful immigration status, and transferred him to ICE custody without any criminal charge, warrant, prior notice, or individualized assessment of flight risk or dangerousness. DHS initiated removal proceedings on July 21, 2026. Saienko filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the lawfulness of his detention and seeking either immediate release or a prompt bond hearing before an Immigration Judge. On August 7, 2026, the federal district court granted the petition, finding the detention violated both the Immigration and Nationality Act and Fifth Amendment due process rights, and ordered Saienko's immediate release by August 9, 2026 on his own recognizance with no additional conditions beyond his original parole.

Jorge Vilchez, owner of Caracas Latin Food restaurant in El Paso, Texas, was detained by ICE on July 16, 2026. A Venezuelan national who arrived in the United States on September 22, 2019, on a visa that expired on March 21, 2020, Vilchez had recently organized a humanitarian aid campaign through his restaurant to collect food, medicine, and supplies for earthquake victims in Venezuela on June 24. According to his family, he has no criminal record and had gained recognition in the El Paso community for his relief efforts and commitment to helping others. His asylum case remains pending before an immigration judge. He is being held at the Otero County Processing Center in New Mexico. His family and friends launched fundraising campaigns, including a GoFundMe, to cover legal fees and immigration process costs, while the restaurant announced it will continue operating during normal business hours.

David Ardila, a 33-year-old DJ from Venezuela, was detained by ICE at Logan Airport on July 10, 2026, after returning from attending a FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match in Boston. Ardila fled Venezuela and applied for asylum in 2017, entering the U.S. on a valid visa that year. He holds a Social Security number and work permits and has been following all legal processes required while waiting nearly a decade for an asylum interview. ICE detained him for allegedly overstaying his visa by over eight years, which his attorney Todd Pomerleau attributes to delays in the asylum application process. Ardila has no criminal record and is currently being held at Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts, approximately 3,000 miles from his family in Seattle, with legal challenges being filed seeking his release and permission to remain in Massachusetts during his immigration proceedings.

Naseeb Naseeb, a native of India, entered the United States in June 2024 at the Mexican border and was released to live in Philadelphia while in removal proceedings. On July 15, 2026, DHS officials arrested him at a scheduled immigration check-in and detained him at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia without a bond hearing. The government relied on a July 8, 2025 ICE policy interpreting the Immigration and Nationality Act to subject all noncitizens without admission status to mandatory detention without bond eligibility. Naseeb filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus arguing the detention violated the INA and the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause. The federal court granted his petition, finding that Naseeb should be detained under the discretionary provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), not the mandatory detention statute, and that he is entitled to a bond hearing before an immigration judge.

Lorenzo Thompson, a Jamaican citizen and Southwest Airlines flight attendant, was detained by ICE agents at Nashville International Airport on July 14, 2026, while returning from a work trip. Thompson lawfully entered the United States on April 17, 2021, on a six-month visitor visa and has been working as a flight attendant while pursuing legal status through an active asylum application. He holds a valid work permit and has no criminal record. His best friend Kristin Foster stated that Thompson is seeking refuge from life-threatening abuse, and colleagues described him as a well-liked, caring worker. Thompson and his supporters dispute ICE's characterization that he overstayed his visa, asserting he has followed legal procedures and maintained compliance with immigration requirements. He is being held at a correctional facility in Mississippi pending immigration proceedings. The Transport Workers Union Local 556 stated they are working with Thompson's attorney and committed to supporting him and his family.

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

Phu Nguyen, a 57-year-old Australian citizen born in Vietnam, was tackled and handcuffed by two plainclothes ICE agents in Terminal 3 of Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on July 13, 2026. Nguyen had entered the United States legally on a visa in May 2013 but remained in the country after his authorized stay expired in May 2015. Bystander and filmmaker Chris Motley recorded the confrontation on the airport floor; when officers realized they were being filmed, they withdrew, leaving one handcuff attached to Nguyen's wrist. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrived and removed the handcuff, finding no outstanding warrants. The following day, ICE agents arrested Nguyen at Los Angeles International Airport as he boarded a departing flight. He is currently held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Centre in California pending removal proceedings.

A man who entered the U.S. on a valid visa and had complied with immigration appointments for seven years was arrested in the middle of his asylum interview. He faced transfer to a detention center near Bakersfield, separated from his American spouse and U.S.-born children. Attorney Elizabeth Knowles from the Bay Area Habeas Network filed an emergency habeas petition after midnight, and a federal judge ordered his immediate release within five hours.

Jamie Rene Martinez Silva is a noncitizen and Mexican national currently held in ICE custody at Diamondback Correctional Facility in Oklahoma. He has a final order of removal and is seeking to prevent his removal to Mexico or a third country. Martinez Silva claims membership in the Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) class of ICE detainees with pending immigration benefit applications, including U Visa petitions, and states he has a pending Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)-based petition that bears on his removability and eligibility for relief. He filed a habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 and moved for a stay of removal pending resolution of his petition, or alternatively, for a temporary restraining order (TRO). The Magistrate Judge recommended denying his motion for stay/TRO, finding the Western District of Oklahoma lacks jurisdiction to enjoin removal proceedings under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(g), which bars district courts from hearing claims arising from DHS decisions to execute removal orders.

Xiaoqin Dai, a Chinese national admitted to the U.S. on a valid B-1/B-2 visa on April 4, 2024, was re-detained by ICE on July 13, 2026, at Los Angeles International Airport without notice, warrant, or hearing. During her two+ years in the country, she had been granted employment authorization, worked lawfully, established community ties, and maintained a clean criminal record while her asylum application was pending. The court ordered her release on her prior conditions within 24 hours, finding her re-detention without pre-deprivation process violated Fifth Amendment due process rights.

Ghezae Fissiha Arone, an Eritrean national ordered removed in 2016, was released on an Order of Supervision in 2016 and lived in the community for approximately 10 years before being re-detained in 2026. The court found that ICE failed to establish a significant likelihood of removal to Eritrea, which does not cooperate with the United States for repatriation. The court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release, also establishing procedural protections against removal to third countries.

Johan Sandoval, a 22-year-old Dominican Republic native and baseball standout at Savannah State University, was detained by ICE agents on July 3, 2026, outside his girlfriend's apartment complex in Clifton Park, New York. Sandoval, who entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2022, was pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration on a full athletic scholarship and had recently been named MVP of the 2026 HBCU Baseball All-Star Game. According to his girlfriend Adriana Wade, ICE agents blocked his car as he was leaving for the gym and followed him to the apartment door; during the encounter, his phone was broken and his state ID was lost. DHS stated that Sandoval's F-1 student visa was terminated in April 2025 after he failed to adhere to visa requirements. He was held at ICE's Buffalo Service Processing Center pending removal proceedings. His family launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $12,000 for legal representation, and Savannah State's president Dr. Jermaine Whirl worked with the family and an immigration attorney to secure his release.

Alva Iris Garcia Atrian is a 56-year-old Mexican citizen who entered the United States lawfully on a border-crossing visa in 1994 and has resided in the US for 32 years. She was apprehended by Immigration and Naturalization Services during an airport raid following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, released on $10,000 bond, and accepted Voluntary Departure from Denver Immigration Court in 2004. On July 3, 2026, she was arrested by ICE at Denver International Airport while attempting to board a domestic flight and was detained without being told the reason for her arrest or given documentation regarding her detention. She filed a Verified Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus challenging her detention as improper under 8 U.S.C. § 1231(a). The respondents did not oppose the petition. Judge Regina M. Rodriguez granted her habeas petition and ordered her immediate release within 24 hours, with release conditions limited to those specified in 8 U.S.C. § 1231(a)(3), and enjoined respondents from re-detaining her without written notice and a hearing where they must prove by clear and convincing evidence that re-detention is warranted.

Resham Singh, an Indian citizen who entered the U.S. on July 15, 2023, was detained on July 3, 2026, when he appeared at a local ICE office for a routine check-in appointment. Singh had been released on his own recognizance in an Alternatives to Detention program and had a pending asylum application with valid employment authorization. The court found his detention violated due process and ordered his immediate release, prohibiting future detention without seven days' notice and a bond hearing before a neutral arbiter.

Gurpreet Singh, an Indian citizen who entered the U.S. in 2018 without inspection, was detained on July 2, 2026, following a traffic stop by Indiana State Police in Indianapolis. ICE determined he was eligible for removal proceedings and issued a warrant under 8 U.S.C. § 1226. Singh was placed in full removal proceedings but held at Clay County Jail without receiving a bond hearing. The court granted his habeas petition, ordering the government to either provide him an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge or release him within ten days.

Juana Antonia Guzman-Gomez, a Honduran citizen, entered the United States without inspection near Presidio, Texas on May 6, 2019, and was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol. She was released from custody at that time with no Notice to Appear. She was subsequently placed in removal proceedings and issued an Order of Release on Recognizance in 2019. As of July 2026, she is detained at Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana. The court denied her motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent her transfer or deportation, finding that such relief would circumvent the habeas corpus process and that she failed to meet the legal requirements for emergency injunctive relief.

Mitchell Arleth Soza-Lopez, a Nicaraguan citizen paroled into the United States in October 2022, was detained on July 1, 2026, when she appeared for a routine check-in appointment at the ICE Office in Los Angeles. She had complied with all release conditions, maintained employment, paid taxes, and had no criminal record for nearly four years. The court granted her petition for habeas corpus, finding that her re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated procedural due process, and ordered her release on her prior conditions within 24 hours.

John Jairo Suarez Rueda, a Colombian national who entered the U.S. without inspection in 2023 and was paroled after indicating credible fear of persecution, was detained by ICE on July 1, 2026, while delivering packages for Amazon with a valid work permit. DHS and EOIR ordered his mandatory detention without bond eligibility under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A). On July 10, 2026, the U.S. District Court for Idaho granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release, finding that § 1226(a) applies because he was already present in the country and was not subject to the cited detention statutes.

Ihor B., a Ukrainian citizen, was detained by ICE on June 30, 2026, following an encounter with Oklahoma Highway Patrol. He had been temporarily paroled into the United States for humanitarian reasons and had recently received re-parole approval from USCIS in May 2026, permitting lawful presence until April 2028. An ICE officer served him with a Notice to Appear and detained him at the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center in Tulsa. The court summarily dismissed his habeas corpus petition, finding that the NTA constituted sufficient written notice of parole termination under applicable regulations and that his detention was lawful pending removal proceedings.

Bernard Kabore, a Burkina Faso citizen who fled violence and religious persecution and was lawfully admitted on a B-2 visa in November 2021, filed an asylum application within one year of arrival and maintained compliance with all USCIS requirements. ICE arrested him at his Portland home on June 30, 2026, and transported him to the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island. The court issued a temporary restraining order enjoining ICE from removing Kabore from the District of Rhode Island pending resolution of his habeas corpus petition, with exceptions only for medical emergencies or bond hearings before an Immigration Judge.

Roberto Antonio Avila Perla, an 18-year-old from El Salvador, was detained by ICE on June 29, 2026, and transferred to Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California. Avila Perla entered the United States in May 2019 and was released on his own recognizance. He obtained Special Immigrant Juvenile status in September 2023 and had his removal proceedings administratively closed in October 2023, with no criminal history and no final removal order. The court granted his habeas corpus petition, finding his detention violated the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause, and ordered his immediate release with restrictions on future detention requiring advance notice and bond hearings.

Guiliang Huang, a Chinese national who entered the CNMI as a parolee in 2015 and overstayed, was arrested by ICE on June 28, 2026, and placed in removal proceedings. He was detained at the CNMI Department of Corrections and denied a bond hearing despite requesting one at his master calendar hearing. The court granted his habeas corpus petition, finding he was subject to discretionary detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) rather than mandatory detention, and ordered respondents to provide an individualized bond hearing within fourteen days or release him.