Human Impact Project

Columbia Protester Held by ICE Says She Was Chained to Bed After Seizure

San Diego activist sentenced to 45 days home arrest for ICE officer assault

San Diego activist Jeane Wong was sentenced to 45 days of home detention and probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault of a federal officer. The incident occurred when Wong and other activists responded to an ICE enforcement action at a Linda Vista apartment complex, where Wong unmasked a Homeland Security Investigations agent who had not clearly identified themselves. The prosecutor had requested a one-year prison sentence, but the judge imposed the lighter sentence instead.

Afghan refugees in Qatar camp endure missile attacks amid Iran war

Over 1,100 Afghan refugees, many of whom served alongside U.S. forces, are trapped at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar amid escalating conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Since the war began on February 28, 2026, residents have faced repeated missile attacks with inadequate shelter in shipping containers. President Trump suspended their refugee resettlement program in 2025, leaving them stranded for years with uncertain futures.

Reporter detained by ICE in Nashville without warrant

Estefany Rodríguez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias and Univision 42 Nashville, was detained by ICE on March 4 in South Nashville without a warrant for her arrest. She was taken into custody while outside a gym with her husband. Her attorneys have filed an emergency petition in federal court seeking a writ of habeas corpus to review the legality of her detention.

Asylum approvals plummet as fearful immigrants skip hearings

Asylum approval rates have dropped to a record low of fewer than 3% in January 2026, down from 18% a year earlier, as immigrants increasingly skip their court hearings due to fear of deportation. Nationally, 20% of asylum seekers missed their hearings in January compared to 10% a year prior, with Los Angeles County showing even more dramatic increases at 56% no-shows. The Trump administration's intensified mass deportation efforts, reopening of previously closed cases, and enforcement actions at courthouses have created widespread fear among asylum seekers, contributing to rising case abandonment rates and questioning the effectiveness of the immigration court system.

Venezuelan man deported to El Salvador prison over rose tattoos

Luis Muñoz Pinto, a 27-year-old Venezuelan man, was deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador's Cecot prison in March 2025, accused of gang membership based on rose tattoos he got to honor his twin sisters. The tattoos were misidentified as Tren de Aragua gang symbols by U.S. immigration officials. 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.

911 calls document medical emergencies for detained children in Texas

Emergency crews were dispatched to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas at least 11 times since September 2025 to treat children in medical distress, according to 911 call logs obtained by NBC News. Children experienced serious conditions including respiratory distress, fever, seizures, and low oxygen levels. Pediatricians and medical advocates have criticized the facility as unsuitable for children and called for their release, citing concerns about inadequate medical care and detention conditions.

Officials detain and cite volunteers documenting ICE arrests

Four volunteers were detained and cited by Federal Protective Service officers at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego for standing in hallways to document immigration arrests and support immigrants with court hearings. An overnight rule change prohibiting loitering in public areas and hallways was used to justify the detentions, though volunteers argued they were not obstructing hallways. Each volunteer received citations for failing to comply with official signs and lawful directions from security personnel, with $284 fines.

Art Seized, Communications Monitored at Dilley Detention Center

ProPublica reports that staff at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center have increased confiscation of art supplies, drawings, and personal items from detained immigrant families, and restricted access to Google services and video calls, coinciding with children's efforts to share their stories about detention. Former detainees describe heightened surveillance during communications with family and lawyers following a January protest and media coverage of a 5-year-old detainee named Liam.

CBP agents coercing unaccompanied minors into voluntary removal

CBP agents are allegedly attempting to return unaccompanied migrant children to their home countries before they can meet with attorneys or appear before immigration judges, according to court filings. Attorneys representing Guatemalan minors claim the Trump administration is using coercion, threats, and misinformation to pressure children into signing paperwork for expedited voluntary returns, in violation of a federal court order protecting the minors.

Blind Rohingya refugee abandoned by Border Patrol found dead

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a nearly blind Rohingya refugee from Burma, was dropped off by Border Patrol agents at a Tim Hortons coffee shop miles from his home on February 19, 2026, without notification to his family or attorney. He was found dead on Perry Street on February 25 after being missing for nearly a week. The medical examiner ruled his death as health-related in nature, and authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding his release and death.

Haitian girls found dead in Mexican migrant center septic tank

Two Haitian girls, ages 4 and 5, were found dead in a septic tank at Casa Hogar Patos, a migrant transit center in Oaxaca, Mexico on February 24, 2026. The children had been admitted to the facility with their mother while awaiting immigration processing. The Support Group for Repatriated and Refugees (GARR) is demanding a thorough investigation and accountability, citing serious safety failures and lack of adequate monitoring by staff. Two officials have been dismissed but no one has been formally held responsible.

U.S. veteran's adopted Iranian daughter faces deportation threat

A woman in her 50s, adopted from Iran as a toddler by a U.S. Air Force veteran, is facing deportation proceedings after discovering she was never formally naturalized as a U.S. citizen. She entered the country on a tourist visa and was excluded from the 2000 Child Citizenship Act, despite growing up in the Midwest and having no criminal record. She fears deportation to Iran given her father's military service, her Christian faith, and her lack of family or language connections to the country.

Monthly vigil renews push to end ICE detention after immigrant death

Multifaith leaders held their seventh vigil at Southside Christian Church in Kokomo to oppose ICE detention at Miami Correctional Facility. The vigil came a week after 59-year-old Lorth Sim, an ICE immigrant detainee, died in custody at the facility. Religious leaders called for thorough investigation and better treatment of detainees, noting it was the seventh death in ICE custody nationally that year.

ICE monitors San Diego activists through Operation Road Flare

Court documents revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego is conducting 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, raising First Amendment concerns about government surveillance of activists.

Letters reveal harsh conditions at Adelanto ICE detention center

An investigation into the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California's Mojave Desert reveals detainees experiencing severe conditions including inadequate medical care, insufficient food and water, and prolonged detention. Through handwritten letters and interviews, detained individuals describe monotony, pain, and stress, with some held for nearly three years despite having permanent residency status or no criminal convictions.

Ex-ICE instructor testifies agency slashed officer training

A former instructor for Immigration and Customs Enforcement testified to congressional Democrats that the agency has cut mandatory training classes for new recruits. The former instructor accused ICE of slashing training standards and lying to Congress about it as the Trump administration seeks to rapidly expand its mass deportation operation.

US deports gay asylum-seeker to country where homosexuality illegal

A gay asylum-seeker who fled a country where homosexuality is illegal was deported by the Trump administration to another third country where homosexuality is also illegal. The woman now lives in constant fear following the deportation.

Calexico vigil honors immigrants who died in ICE custody

Imperial Valley activists gathered outside the Imperial Regional Detention Facility on February 21 for an interfaith vigil honoring Huabing Xie, a Chinese immigrant, and Luis Beltran Yañez-Cruz, a Honduran immigrant, who both died while in ICE custody in Imperial County. Organizers highlighted conditions of medical neglect, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions at the detention facility, and called for accountability regarding the deaths.

DOJ seeks to revoke citizenship of former North Miami mayor

The Department of Justice filed a denaturalization case against former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime, alleging he misrepresented his identity and immigration history during his naturalization process in 2006. According to federal prosecutors, Bien-Aime entered the United States in 1997 using a fraudulent passport under a different name, was ordered removed in 2000, but remained in the country under an assumed identity. The complaint also alleges he obtained permanent resident status through an invalid marriage to a U.S. citizen using a fraudulent divorce certificate.

Christian asylum seekers from Iran face separation amid Trump crackdown

Liam Azizi and his wife Hananeh Alikaram, Iranian converts to Christianity fleeing religious persecution, were separated after only Azizi received asylum approval. Alikaram's asylum request was denied and she is being held in Louisiana awaiting deportation to Iran, where she faces prosecution for her religious conversion. The case exemplifies the Trump administration's enforcement of family separation policies affecting asylum seekers.

Immigration agents using obscure law to detain U.S. citizens

Immigration agents are increasingly using 18 U.S. Code 111, a once-obscure federal statute, to detain American citizens who protest or document their operations. The Trump administration has dramatically expanded use of the statute, with federal prosecutors charging about 12 times as many people under it in the first year compared to Biden's last year, but many cases have been dismissed or resulted in acquittals. Legal experts argue agents are abusing the law to target First Amendment-protected activities like recording and following officers, despite senior administration officials acknowledging that recording agents in public does not violate federal law.

Federal judge accuses Trump administration of terror against immigrants

A federal judge has accused the Trump administration of terrorizing immigrants and recklessly violating the law in its efforts to deport millions of people living in the country illegally. The judge issued a scathing ruling criticizing the administration's immigration enforcement actions.

ICE detainee dies at Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana

Lorth Sim, a 59-year-old Cambodian national and lawful permanent resident, was found unresponsive in his cell at Miami Correctional Facility and pronounced dead on Monday morning. Lawmakers including U.S. Congressman André Carson called for answers regarding the death, which marks the first ICE detainee death at the facility and the seventh nationally in 2026.

DHS Detains Protester at LA Music Festival

Department of Homeland Security agents detained a person exercising free speech with a megaphone at an LA Music Festival event. The incident occurred at 535 Alameda during what appears to be an ongoing protest presence against ICE operations.

ICE Expands Undercover Social Media Infiltration Program

The Department of Homeland Security has expanded its use of undercover techniques to infiltrate social media, introducing a new program called "masked engagement" that allows over 6,500 federal agents to assume false identities and interact with users in private groups. The new policy permits officers to friend users, join closed groups, and access private postings without the rigorous legal oversight required for formal undercover operations. Critics argue the practice is invasive and erosive of public trust in government.

U.S. Citizens Detained by Immigration Agents Describe Treatment

Three U.S. citizens—George Retes from California, Aliya Rahman from Minnesota, and Gina Christ from Minnesota—describe being violently detained by ICE and CBP agents during immigration enforcement operations. The incidents involved physical force, pepper spray, flashbangs, and prolonged detention without proper legal procedures, with charges ultimately not filed against any of them.

Minnesota suburbs see stealthier ICE tactics despite announced drawdown

Despite border czar Tom Homan's announcement that Operation Metro Surge would end on February 12, Minnesota residents and officials report ICE continues operations in Twin Cities suburbs using increasingly covert tactics. Agents are using disguised vehicles, smaller groups, plain clothes, and deceptive practices like posing as environmental canvassers. Community observers document continued ICE presence at hotels, bus stops, apartment complexes, and targeting of those documenting enforcement activities.

Leqaa Kordia Discharged From Hospital, Returned to ICE Detention

Leqaa Kordia was hospitalized for over 72 hours following a seizure and subsequently returned to ICE detention at Prairieland Detention Facility. During her hospitalization, neither her family nor legal counsel were permitted access to her or information about her health status. She has been detained by ICE for nearly a year following her participation in protests expressing solidarity with Palestinians.

Man detained after ICE agents enter Montgomery County home

ICE agents conducted a targeted enforcement operation on February 9, 2026, to apprehend Jose Manuel Cordova Lopez, a Mexican citizen who overstayed his H-2A visa. After agents attempted to stop his vehicle, he drove to a home in Lower Providence Township where agents surrounded the house and broke down doors. Cordova Lopez was taken into custody while family members inside, including two minors, were present during the operation.

ICE detains asylum seekers and refugees in Minnesota, flies them to Texas

ICE agents detained at least 100 asylum seekers and refugees in Minnesota and transported them by air to detention facilities in Texas for questioning and reprocessing. Some detainees were released in Texas without documentation, money, or phones, while others remain in custody without clear information about why they are being held. The operations have caused panic in immigrant communities, with many afraid to seek medical care, send children to school, or leave their homes.

French tennis coach detained and expelled under Trump border crackdown

Julien Pereira, a 26-year-old French tennis coach, was detained by U.S. Border Patrol and ICE after being denied entry to Canada while awaiting work visa paperwork. He spent a month in an ICE facility in Batavia, New York, where he experienced shackling, inadequate food and water, and harsh conditions before being released on bail and ordered to leave the U.S. within 15 days.

Federal agents detain Marine, copy phone without warrant in Minneapolis

Steven Saari, a Marine Corps veteran, was detained by federal immigration agents at the scene of Alex Pretti's killing in Minneapolis on February 3, 2026. During his six-hour detention at a federal building, agents collected his biometric data, forced a DNA sample, and copied his cell phone without a warrant or authorization. Saari was denied access to an attorney despite repeated requests and was released without charges.

ICE officers arrest multiple people at Jersey City Light Rail Station

ICE agents conducted enforcement operations at Hudson Bergen Light Rail Station in Jersey City Heights and Hoboken on Sunday morning, detaining several people. An ICE officer was recorded telling a city councilman he did not need a warrant to make arrests. The incident prompted community meetings and concerns from local leaders about the enforcement tactics used.

U.S. Citizen Livestreams Detention as Federal Agents Smash Car Window

Maria Santay, a U.S. citizen and community observer, livestreamed her detainment by federal immigration agents at an El Monte gas station on February 1, 2026. Agents surrounded her vehicle and broke her car window with a hammer while she recorded on Instagram. She was detained and released Friday evening with charges including resisting arrest, and later described the encounter as frightening and traumatic.

ICE fears prevent Minnesota pregnant immigrants from prenatal care

Pregnant immigrants in Minnesota are avoiding prenatal care visits due to fear of ICE enforcement, resulting in increased no-show rates and serious health complications. Healthcare providers report seeing rare complications like preterm premature rupture of membranes, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia go undetected, with some patients opting for dangerous home births instead of hospital care.

ICE arrests 58-year-old McDonald's worker, allegedly laughs at son's medicine delivery

ICE agents arrested a 58-year-old McDonald's worker outside Minneapolis and detained him at a nearby facility. When his teenage son Anthony brought life-saving heart medication to the detention facility, ICE agents allegedly laughed at and smirked at the teenager. Anthony later returned with lawyers and medical professionals to ensure his father would receive the medication.

Three Eugene protesters listed on FBI most wanted list

Three protesters who participated in anti-ICE protests at the Eugene Federal Building were listed on the FBI's most wanted list for alleged involvement in property damage during a January 30 protest. The FBI is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to arrest and conviction of individuals involved in breaking windows, spray-painting, and throwing rocks at law enforcement. The protest was declared a riot by Eugene Police Department.

Ukrainian asylum seeker detained by ICE at routine appointment

Maryna Ishchenko, a Ukrainian asylum seeker, was detained by ICE at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center during a routine immigration appointment, according to her U.S. citizen husband Asael Ramirez. She had previously been detained after initially presenting her asylum case at the border but was released after Ramirez agreed to sponsor her. The couple, married last year and living in Sylmar, was following ICE's instructions for regular check-ins when she was detained again, despite being married to a U.S. citizen.

Mom Detained by ICE After Warming Her Car in Minnesota

A mother was detained by ICE after going outside to warm her car. She was able to contact someone to inform them that her children would be left alone as a result of her detention.

St. Paul activist Thao Xiong detained by ICE at community center

Federal immigration agents detained Thao Xiong, a community organizer and volunteer food shelf delivery driver, in the parking lot of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul on city-owned property. The detainment occurred despite objections from community center staff and legal observers, and Xiong's U.S. citizenship or immigration status remained unclear. The incident occurred during Operation Metro Surge, which brought approximately 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota for immigration enforcement.

ICE-detained father denied release to attend son's funeral

Maher Tarabishi, detained by ICE since October 2025, was denied temporary release to attend his son Wael's funeral. Wael, 30, died on January 23 after suffering from Pompe disease and had been Maher's dependent. Despite ICE detention standards allowing for emergency-supervised release to attend funerals, immigration officials rejected the family's requests for Maher's attendance at his son's burial.

Surfer Released After 4 Months in Immigration Detention

Hagop Chirinian, a non-citizen surfer, was released after being detained for four months following an accidental trespass onto Camp Pendleton beach. A federal judge ordered ICE to release him, ruling the agency violated its own protocols by detaining him despite knowing he could not be deported, as Lebanon refused to accept him. Chirinian had been living under an order of supervision with a work permit for nearly 30 years without additional convictions.

Teen becomes caregiver after parents detained by ICE

Rosa Barrera, an 18-year-old, became responsible for caring for her three younger siblings after ICE detained her parents at their workplace. She is fundraising for legal representation to help bring her parents home, while also managing household bills and caring for her sister who has autism and requires medical support.

U.S. Army Captain arrested for peacefully protesting ICE

U.S. Army Captain Josie Guilbeau, a 17-year veteran and decorated Intelligence Officer, was arrested for peacefully protesting ICE outside Greg Bovino's hotel. The arrest occurred while she was protesting alongside community members using non-violent methods such as banging pots, blowing whistles, and honking horns.

22-year-old seeks funds after father's Border Patrol detention

A 22-year-old man's father was detained by Border Patrol on January 26th, leaving the young man to manage rent, legal fees, and living expenses alone. The son is fundraising to cover his father's legal costs and maintain financial stability during this difficult period.

ICE detains legally present Maine resident after traffic stop

Mirian, a legally present resident of the United States who recently graduated from college, was followed by ICE from Westbrook to Scarborough, Maine. She was ordered to pull over during a traffic stop and was subsequently detained by ICE. Her family is seeking community support for her release.

ICE detains father during daycare drop-off in front of child

ICE agents detained a father driving his two-year-old son to daycare in Shoreline, Washington. The child was left alone in the vehicle surrounded by armed agents for approximately 30 minutes while waiting for a family member to pick him up. Community volunteers arrived at the scene and documented the incident while supporting the child until a family friend arrived to take him to the father's workplace.

ICE detention leaves kindergartener without mother in Maine

Five-year-old Keyli Camila Espin Vaca was left without her mother when ICE agents detained Mayra Vaca Latacunga, 25, from Ecuador, after stopping her car while she was getting groceries. Vaca Latacunga, a single mother working in Maine's seafood industry, was transferred to Massachusetts and held for several days before being released with an ankle monitor. The detention is part of ICE's "Operation Catch of the Day" in Maine, which has left multiple children separated from detained parents.

ICE detains civil engineer in Portland, smashes car window

ICE agents detained Juan Sebastian Carvajal-Munoz, a civil engineer from Colombia with a work visa and master's degree from University of Maine, on Pearl Street in downtown Portland. Agents used a crowbar to smash his car window and forcibly removed him from his vehicle while he was compliant. The detainee has no criminal record, despite the operation targeting individuals described as criminal aliens.