Rudy V.M.: Roofer with U.S. citizen wife held four months by ICE, health decliningRudy Villeda Mejía, 47, a Honduran roofing business owner and trafficking survivor married to a U.S. citizen, was held four months before a judge ordered his release, which left him stranded in Louisiana without ID.Mar 30, 2026·Denver, CO·Honduras·Grand Junction Sentinel📦,CourtListener,Sentinel Colorado+1📦,Colorado Times Recorder📦,Colorado Newsline+1📦,Westword,Seattle Times,NJ.com,Kiowa County Press
Yaima S.: Cuban mother of five, three with autism, held six months by ICEYaima de las Mercedes Suárez, a mother of five with three autistic children, was freed after six months detained, following her arrest at Miami airport returning from visiting her late father's grave in Cuba.Mar 28, 2026·Miami, FL·Cuba·CiberCuba📦,CubaNet📦,Aroma de Cuba,Cuba Headlines
Patience G.: Mother of U.S. citizen daughter lured to airport gate, held by ICEPatience Gore, a Zimbabwean mother married to a U.S. citizen, was seized at a United Airlines gate after 24 years in the U.S. and held nearly two weeks, disrupting an IVF cycle; a judge ordered her freed.Mar 27, 2026·Phoenix, AZ·Zimbabwe·Aviation A2Z📦,View from the Wing📦,Inside Flyer📦,PACER Monitor,Phoenix New Times,Instagram📦
Kevin N.: Kenyan father of four detained by ICE returning from his father's funeralKevin Ntabo, a Kenyan-born father of four in Edmond, Washington, was detained at Sea-Tac airport after attending his father's funeral in Kenya, and awaits a hearing on his deportation.Mar 24, 2026·Seattle, WA·Kenya·Newsweek📦,Tuko.co.ke+1📦,Diaspora Messenger📦,Streamline Feed📦,TV47📦,Instagram+1📦,YouTube📦
Shani E.: Father of U.S. citizens detained by ICE at LAX before funeral flightAn Iranian man who came to the U.S. as a child in 1993, married to a citizen with two citizen children, was detained at LAX while flying to his father-in-law's funeral. A court ordered his immediate release.Mar 18, 2026·Los Angeles, CA·Iran·CourtListener📦
Armin M.: Caregiver for U.S. citizen parents arrested by ICE at Burbank AirportAn Iranian man who came to the U.S. at 15, now caring for his citizen parents and working as a project manager, was arrested at Burbank Airport after 14 years on supervised release. A judge ordered him freed.Mar 5, 2026·Burbank, CA·Iran·CourtListener📦
Mitch L.: Activist's phone seized by CBP at Los Angeles airport without a warrantMitch Lillie, a volunteer who monitors ICE patrols, had his phone seized without a warrant at Los Angeles airport, part of months of harassment including over 80 unknown calls telling him to stop his activism.Mar 2026·Los Angeles, CA·The Guardian📦
Rubeliz B.B.: Venezuelan doctor with valid work permit held a month by ICEDr. Rubeliz Bolívar Barrios, 33, a physician with a valid work permit through 2030, was freed on bail after over a month in detention following her arrest at an airport despite valid documents.Mar 2026·McAllen, TX·Venezuela·FOX RGV📦,KRGV📦,Caraota Digital📦,American College of Emergency Physicians📦,World Today News
Dayton L.: Green-card holder living here 28 years detained by ICE at airportDayton Andre Lindsay, a Jamaican green-card holder and father and grandfather in a blended family of five children, was detained at O'Hare after 28 years in the U.S. and remains held.Feb 27, 2026·Chicago, IL·Jamaica·Newsweek📦,Lipstick Alley,WGN-TV
Noel Q.: Restaurant owner with green card held by ICE despite judge granting bondNoel Quintana, a 50-year-old Madison restaurant owner and legal resident, was detained returning from Mexico and remains held despite a judge ordering his case ended. Community fundraisers have raised over $50,000 for him.Feb 18, 2026·Madison, WI·Mexico·WPR📦,Capital Times📦,Wisconsin State Journal,Badger Herald📦,Madison.com,Instagram📦
Andy S.: Indonesian man detained at airport without explanation after 18 years of complianceAn Indonesian man who had complied with a supervision order for nearly 18 years was detained at an airport without explanation. A court ordered his immediate release after he challenged the detention.Feb 2026·Adelanto, CA·Indonesia·CourtListener📦
Jung Hoo L.: Giants outfielder detained at LAX, released within an hourJung Hoo Lee, a Giants outfielder arriving from South Korea for FanFest, was held about an hour at LAX before being released over a paperwork issue.Jan 21, 2026·Los Angeles, CA·South Korea·CBS News,San Francisco Chronicle📦,San Francisco Standard
Milo M.: Canadian adult-film model questioned by CBP on sexuality, barred from entryMilo Miles, a Canadian adult-film model, was held for eight hours at Toronto's Pearson Airport and questioned about his sexuality and work before being banned from the U.S. for 10 years.Jan 20, 2026·Toronto, ON·Canada·AOL📦,The Fight Magazine📦,Instagram📦
Sergio S.S.: Father of three U.S. citizens arrested by ICE at Long Beach AirportA Salvadoran father of three who has lived in the U.S. since age 12 was arrested at Long Beach Airport after clearing security; a judge has now ordered his release from Adelanto.Jan 12, 2026·Long Beach, CA·El Salvador·CourtListener
Ahmed H.: Minneapolis U.S. citizen Uber driver confronted by Border Patrol over accentAhmed Bin Hassan, a Somali American Uber driver and U.S. citizen, was confronted by over a dozen Border Patrol and ICE agents at the Minneapolis airport over his accent, and refused to show ID.Jan 8, 2026·Minneapolis, MN·Somalia·The Intercept📦,CNN+1📦,Feddit📦
Donna H.B.: Irish grandmother held 5 months by ICE over decade-old checksDonna Hughes-Brown, 59, who has lived in the U.S. since age 11, was detained for five months over two decade-old bounced checks totaling under $80. She was released before Christmas and reunited with family in Missouri.Dec 23, 2025·Ireland·Ireland·First Alert 4📦,WOWT📦,Irish Times+2📦,WHSV📦,Dublin Live+1📦,Roscommon Herald📦,Irish Central+2📦,Irish Examiner📦,Carlow Nationalist📦,Seattle Times📦,Extra.ie📦,RTÉ+1📦,Instagram📦
Yessica R.S.: Mother detained by ICE on Hawaii vacation, deported to El SalvadorYessica Rivera Sanchez, a Las Vegas resident of over two decades, was detained at Honolulu airport during a family vacation and deported to El Salvador in late December, leaving her husband and daughter behind.Dec 18, 2025·Honolulu, HI·El Salvador·News 3 Las Vegas📦,8 News Now,Las Vegas CNN
Latif H.: Manhattan concierge held by ICE 108 days, 10 in solitary confinementAbdellatif Hafraoui, 60, a Manhattan building concierge married to an American wife, spent 108 days in ICE detention over a decades-old deportation order sent to the wrong address before paying bond and going home.Nov 25, 2025·Newark, NJ·Morocco·The Marshall Project📦,KUT,Miami Herald,Hespress (English)+1,Daily Kos
Vahid A.: University of Oklahoma professor held three days by ICE at airportVahid Abedini, an Iranian Studies professor at the University of Oklahoma, was held for three days at an airport while heading to an academic conference, calling the experience deeply distressing.Nov 24, 2025·Norman, OK·Iran·Internet Archive📦,News Chief📦,The Oklahoman📦,Salina Journal,OU Daily+2📦,KOCO📦,Inside Higher Ed📦,Instagram📦
Sami H.: British journalist held 18 days by ICE after airport arrestBritish journalist Sami Hamdi was detained at San Francisco's airport on October 26, 2025, after his visa was revoked while on a U.S. speaking tour. He was held 18 days before returning to the UK.Nov 13, 2025·San Francisco, CA·United Kingdom·The Guardian📦,The Independent📦,Boston Globe📦
