Human Impact Project

Oudone Lothirath, a 57-year-old Laotian refugee who arrived in the U.S. in the early 1980s, was detained by ICE in January 2026 during an immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota. While held for 10 days at a detention facility in El Paso, Texas, he missed vital chemotherapy sessions for terminal Hodgkin's lymphoma and received no medical care for his diabetes and heart condition. After his release, he was too weakened to continue his remaining chemotherapy treatments, and his cancer subsequently spread to his bone marrow. His care assistant, Christina Vilay, said he would have had "many more months" to live had he completed his scheduled chemotherapy. Lothirath, a working member of the Minneapolis Lao community who attended a local Buddhist temple and held a current work authorization card issued in 2023, is now receiving hospice care.

Dmytro Kulyk, a Ukrainian national admitted under the Uniting for Ukraine program in late 2023, was detained by ICE on January 1, 2026, while his re-parole application remained pending—unlike his wife and daughter's approved applications. The 39-year-old was apprehended in a Walmart parking lot in Minnesota while working as a delivery driver and doing roofing work to support his family. His immigration attorney suggested the delayed re-parole decision may have been intentional to provide grounds for deportation. Kulyk remains detained and faces potential removal despite having no criminal record and following all required legal procedures.

Activists point to fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration officials in Minneapolis and two killings in San Diego under CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott's watch. The incidents share similarities including victims' positions when attacked, officials' claims of aggression later questioned, and CBP's involvement in evidence handling. Activists note patterns they have identified in federal law enforcement investigations.

Jose Sanchez was detained by ICE in November 2025 and deported to Mexico despite having a pending citizenship case. He died in January 2026 while attempting to cross the Rio Grande to return to his family in San Antonio. His partner, Tiffany Barrera, is a U.S. citizen and mother of five.