Chinese asylum seeker detained by ICE at interview after 9-year waitA Chinese asylum seeker who waited over nine years for his case was detained at his own asylum interview and held for months. A court ordered his immediate release, finding his detention violated his rights.Jan 8, 2026·Tustin, CA·China·CourtListener📦
St. Paul woman awaiting green card held by ICE, agents keep returningThi Dua Vang, a St. Paul woman awaiting her green card, was detained at home and held in Texas for nearly two weeks before a judge freed her on bond. Agents have since returned to her home three times.Jan 8, 2026·St. Paul, MN·Vietnam·KARE 11+1📦,Defense Tech Times📦,WQAD📦
Asylum seeker handyman detained two weeks in ICE custodyPablo Nieves, a Venezuelan asylum seeker and handyman who entered legally in 2018, was detained in a Home Depot parking lot and held for two weeks in Texas before a court released him on bond.Jan 8, 2026·Plymouth, MN·Venezuela·Star Tribune📦,The Oregonian📦,City Bureau📦,Shelter Island Reporter📦,Savannah Now📦,Keene Sentinel📦,San Antonio Express-News📦,Substack📦,Albuquerque Journal📦
Mexican worker on valid visa suffers skull fractures in ICE custodyAlberto C.M., a Mexican citizen on a legal work visa, suffered skull fractures and brain hemorrhages after his arrest in St. Paul. A judge ordered his release after 15 days, calling the arrest without a warrant unlawful.Jan 8, 2026·St. Paul, MN·Mexico·CourtListener📦,The Independent📦
Cuban gardener with work permit held five months, shackled, sent to MexicoGilberto came to the U.S. legally and ran his own gardening truck to support his family in Cuba. Stopped at a traffic light, he ended up shackled and walked into Mexico.Jan 7, 2026·Miami, FL·Cuba·HUMSI field interview📦
Former unaccompanied minor applying for green card arrested by ICE without warrantA 26-year-old Salvadoran who arrived as an unaccompanied minor in 2016 was arrested without a warrant after a misdemeanor drug charge, despite nine years here. A judge ordered him released within three days.Jan 7, 2026·El Salvador·CourtListener📦
Honduran mother of two U.S. citizen children detained again after 11 yearsA Honduran mother of two U.S. citizen children, ages 5 and 9, was re-detained without a warrant after 11 years in St. Paul as their primary caregiver. A court ordered her immediate release.Jan 7, 2026·Honduras·CourtListener📦
Chinese asylum seeker detained by ICE at routine check-in without noticeHongbo Zhao, a Chinese asylum seeker who had complied with all check-in requirements since 2024, was detained during a routine ICE appointment. A federal court ordered his immediate release, citing a lack of due process.Jan 7, 2026·China·CourtListener📦,PACER Monitor
El Paso BORTAC agents identified in Midwest enforcement operations.Two El Paso-based Border Patrol agents were identified as having used chemical munitions and tear gas on crowds in Chicago and Minneapolis, including at the scene where an ICE agent fatally shot Renée Good.Jan 7, 2026·Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN·Unraveled Press📦,Chemical Weapons Research📦,El Paso Times📦,Ronin's Grips📦,DocsLib📦
Father and son detained by ICE, one allegedly choked with jacketA father and son were detained by ICE agents in unmarked cars without a warrant, according to a social media post describing agents breaking a window and choking one of them with a jacket.Jan 7, 2026·Boise, ID·Spokane Public Radio📦,Instagram📦
U.S. citizen Coast Guard veteran mistakenly detained by CBP on cruise shipJose 'Joey' Martinez, a U.S. citizen and Coast Guard veteran, was handcuffed aboard a cruise ship after his name matched someone else's warrant. His wife was tackled filming it; he was released without charges.Jan 7, 2026·Miami, FL·Univision📦,Miami New Times📦,KTAR📦,The Nerd Stash📦,Argus Leader📦,Task & Purpose📦,ABC15📦,Instagram📦
Maryland asylum seeker with work permit detained at immigration check-inMelisa, a Maryland resident with a work permit and pending asylum case, was detained during a routine check-in on December 15. She had been working full-time and planning classes and her wedding.Social media onlyJan 7, 2026·Westminster, MD·Mexico·Instagram📦
Minneapolis pastor detained by ICE after agents point gun at his faceRev. Kenny Callaghan, a Minneapolis pastor, was handcuffed for about 30 minutes after offering himself in place of a Hispanic woman agents approached, then released when told he was White.Jan 7, 2026·Minneapolis, MN·KARE 11📦,People📦,MEAWW📦,The Advocate📦
Nigerian asylum seeker who attended every check-in re-detained by ICEA Nigerian man who had checked in regularly for over two years under an alternative-to-detention program was re-arrested during a routine appointment on January 7, 2026. A court ordered his immediate release, finding the arrest violated due process.Jan 7, 2026·Adelanto, California·Nigeria·CourtListener📦
Federal agents tackle people, use chemical irritants at Roosevelt High in MinneapolisAgents tackled people and used chemical irritants at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis as classes ended on January 7, 2026. The district canceled classes for the rest of the week after the operation.Jan 7, 2026·Minneapolis, MN·CBS News📦,Fox 9+1📦,Instagram📦
U.S. citizen slammed and put in chokehold by ICE in MinneapolisMubashir Hussen, 20, a U.S. citizen, was slammed against a door and choked in Minneapolis despite showing his passport, then freed after two hours. He is now lead plaintiff in a lawsuit over similar detentions.Jan 7, 2026·Minneapolis, MN·Somalia·Star Tribune📦,CourtListener📦,Sahan Journal📦,Just Security📦,Instagram📦
17-year-old detained with mother after ICE agents enter apartment complexA 17-year-old girl was detained with her mother after agents entered their apartment complex. She remains held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley.Jan 6, 2026·Minneapolis, MN·CNN📦,ABC 17 News📦,Sahan Journal📦
Fifth-grade girl detained in Texas facility, discovered by classmatesA fifth-grade girl from Valley View Elementary was detained with her mother and stepfather after the school lost contact with the family on January 9, 2026. Classmates who had been released recognized her in the Dilley facility's cafeteria.Jan 6, 2026·Minneapolis, MN·CNN📦,ABC 17 News📦,Sahan Journal📦
Honduran grandfather, 68, dies in ICE custody after chest pain went undiagnosedLuis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, a 68-year-old Honduran grandfather living in the U.S. for decades, died January 6 in ICE custody after weeks of untreated chest pain and vomiting. His family learned only after he died.Jan 6, 2026·Indio, CA·Honduras·KESQ📦,News Review📦,My News LA+1📦,KXO Radio📦,NBC Los Angeles📦,KPBS📦,El Imparcial📦,Calo News📦,Times of San Diego📦,News Press📦,ICE📦,Instagram📦
Cuban man detained by ICE after traffic violation arrest in FloridaA Cuban man who entered legally in January 2025 was detained after a traffic stop in Miami-Dade and sent to a California City detention facility. A court ordered the government to give him a bond hearing within 14 days.Jan 6, 2026·Miami, FL·Cuba·CourtListener📦
