Human Impact Project

Oriana Korol, 38, a clarinet player with the Unpresidented Brass Band and a child and family therapist, was pepper-sprayed twice in the face and tackled by federal officers moments after her band finished playing the "Ghostbusters" theme during a protest outside Portland's ICE facility on October 12, 2025. Video shows her dragged to the ground, her glasses and clarinet broken, as she pleaded that she has asthma and was struggling to breathe. She was transported across state lines to Clark County Jail in Vancouver, Washington, where she was held for roughly three nights before her husband learned of the transfer; she was reunited with her partner and 3-year-old child upon release. Prosecutors initially charged her with felony assault, alleging she kicked and bit an officer, which carried up to eight years in prison, while she maintained she acted defensively after being shoved and pepper-sprayed. Band founder Miles Thompson called the felony charge "absurd" and said he saw nothing warranting her arrest. After a trial in which she testified she never kicked or bit the officer, Korol later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for trying to kick an officer and faces sentencing with a maximum of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

A Mexican citizen was detained by ICE officers in Wyoming on July 23, 2026, following her arrest for driving under the influence. She was not provided with a warrant for her arrest or a Notice to Appear, and immigration officers made no individualized determination that she was likely to escape before a warrant could be obtained. She was subsequently transferred to and held at the ICE Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado. On August 28, 2026, she filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus seeking release, a prohibition on her removal from the state, and attorney fees. The government did not contest the facts or argue that the warrantless arrest was lawful, instead requesting only a bond hearing. The court found the warrantless arrest and continued detention unlawful because officers lacked probable cause to believe she was a flight risk, and ordered her immediate release within 24 hours rather than a bond hearing.

Five landscaping workers were arrested by ICE on July 23, 2026, during operations on Rutgers Street and Van Reyper Place in Belleville. Each person is accused of being unlawfully present in the United States. ICE stated all will remain in custody pending removal. Belleville Mayor Frank Vélez confirmed that township officials were not given advance notice of the arrests or ICE presence, and the town's police department was not involved in the operation.

Chansareth Hong, 50, a Cambodian refugee who arrived in the United States as an infant in 1978 and has lived in Rhode Island for nearly 50 years, was taken into ICE custody on July 22, 2026, while attending a required in-person check-in at the Warwick field office—a practice he had maintained for nearly 28 years. Hong is the sole caretaker of his nonverbal 9-year-old autistic son and his elderly mother; his son's mother died in 2025 and Hong's father died in June 2026. In his late teens and early 20s, Hong pleaded no contest to drug-related charges but maintained a clean record for three decades without missing a single ICE check-in. He was transferred to the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls. Over 100 community members, including members of the Cambodian Society of Rhode Island and other refugee advocacy organizations, gathered outside the ICE office to protest his detention. Governor Dan McKee, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, 13 members of the Providence City Council, and U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner sent letters to ICE urging his release, citing his rehabilitation and essential role as family caretaker. Over 2,000 people signed a petition on his behalf. A federal judge ordered that Hong cannot be moved out of Rhode Island without 72 hours notice, and his legal team filed a habeas petition in federal court challenging his detention.

Marlon Andres Torres Gomez, a Colombian national, had been in ICE custody since March 18. An immigration judge granted him voluntary departure on May 12 and ordered him to leave the United States by June 11. Torres Gomez purchased a one-way ticket from New York to Colombia for June 10 and his attorney repeatedly contacted ICE to coordinate his departure, but immigration officials detained him and prevented him from boarding the flight. After the deadline passed, the government argued he was subject to mandatory detention, a position U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz called an 'after-the-fact justification' rather than a genuine basis for custody. Farbiarz noted an immigration judge had previously found Torres Gomez did not pose a danger to the community, and on July 22, 2026, ruled that ICE violated his due process rights, ordering his immediate release and stating he expected Torres Gomez to promptly leave the country voluntarily.

Eight people were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Thursday morning in Henderson. At least three of those arrested are members of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, described by the pastor as prominent and longstanding members of the Spanish-speaking Catholic community. Henderson County sheriff's deputies assisted federal agents in the operation, which lasted from approximately 5:30 a.m. to noon.

Luis, a 25-year-old tile installer from Ecuador, was arrested by ICE agents in the parking lot of Tanger Outlets in Deer Park while sitting in his car. ICE agents ran his out-of-state license plates without his knowledge, identified him as an Ecuadorian citizen, obtained a warrant, and arrested him within 20 minutes without giving him an opportunity to explain that he had a valid work permit and federal status protecting him from deportation. A judge later freed him from custody. Luis's arrest occurred as part of a broader enforcement pattern: Newsday's investigation found ICE has arrested over 2,000 people on Long Island since Trump's second term began, primarily through parking lot surveillance and traffic stops rather than coordinated raids. At least 84 of 400 reviewed cases involved immigrants arrested while using vehicles, despite New York state law barring ICE from accessing DMV records.

U.S. Park Police and federal officers, including ICE, conducted a commercial vehicle enforcement operation Wednesday near Lock 10 of the C&O Canal and Clara Barton Parkway in Montgomery County, Maryland, after protesters had warned of ICE presence nearby. Three occupants of a stopped vehicle, reportedly from Mexico, fled on foot, with two heading toward the Potomac River. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue used boats to pull the two individuals from the water, and they were taken into ICE custody pending deportation. A third person swam across the river and escaped; a search for that person was later called off. County Executive Marc Elrich and Council President Natali Fani-Gonzalez condemned the arrests as fear-inducing, while clarifying that county police and fire personnel were involved only for safety reasons and did not participate in the pursuit or enforcement.

A man was arrested by federal agents in the parking lot of a Walmart in Yakima, Washington. A witness recorded video of the arrest, capturing agents subduing the man as he repeated "Estoy sangrando" (I am bleeding). The incident occurred amid growing concern over deaths during immigration enforcement operations. A man was detained by ICE agents in a Home Depot parking lot in Yakima, Washington. According to Jamie Angel, who recorded the detention, agents blocked the man's vehicle from multiple sides before removing him from the car. Angel reported seeing several ICE vehicles parked and concealed in various points of the parking lot when he arrived at the store. Home Depot stated it is aware of agent presence at some of its locations and said it seeks to maintain a welcoming environment while complying with applicable laws.

A man held in immigration detention in Minnesota filed a habeas corpus petition in the District of Minnesota on July 22, 2026, challenging his detention by ICE. The petition names as respondents Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, ICE and DHS officials, and detention officials. The case was assigned to Judge John R. Tunheim and referred to Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins under the court's detainee habeas case list.

Nuria, a Houston-area mother of four, was detained by ICE agents on July 22 at a Sam's Club in the Spring area. Her fiancé, Kibwe Dixon, described her as a devoted mother and caring partner and said all four of her children are U.S. citizens. The family has started a GoFundMe and is asking the public for help.

The petitioner entered the United States on a B-2 visa on July 2, 2024, and has lived continuously in Illinois since then. He filed a timely asylum application in December 2024 that remains pending, and after his visa expired, USCIS granted him an Employment Authorization Document valid through 2030. He worked two jobs, providing transportation services as an independent contractor and performing carpet cleaning work, held an apartment lease and Illinois driver's license, and was an active church member with no criminal history. He was detained by ICE on July 22, 2026, at Los Angeles International Airport while preparing to board a flight home after a vacation, then transferred to and held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. He is the primary financial support for his mother, who recently had back surgery, and he missed the birth of his niece while detained. He filed a habeas corpus petition arguing his detention without notice or a pre-deprivation hearing violated procedural due process, and the court granted the petition, ordering his release within 24 hours and the return of his seized personal documents.

A transgender woman detained at Eloy Detention Center in Arizona reported being strapped into a wheelchair, handcuffed, and interrogated for hours by detention officers. The account was shared by U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari and represents one of multiple allegations of human rights abuses at the facility, including solitary confinement, inadequate water and food, and extreme temperatures. ICE has disputed many of the allegations, and the incident highlights ongoing concerns about how transgender people are treated in immigration detention.

A Guinean woman is a national of Guinea currently detained by U.S. immigration authorities at the Port Isabel Service Processing Center in Cameron County, Texas. She has protection from removal to Guinea. Respondents intend to remove her imminently to Ghana, a third country, without providing her a reasonable fear interview regarding removal to that country. She filed a verified petition challenging her removal as violating her constitutional rights and seeking a temporary restraining order. The court found that her removal would cause immediate and irreparable injury, as she would be unable to seek habeas relief if removed. On August 5, 2026, the court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting removal to a designated third country less than seven days after providing notice, requiring compliance with March 2025 Guidance procedures regardless of diplomatic assurances, and prohibiting transfer outside the Southern District of Texas except to a third country subject to the order's conditions. The court ordered her to file a response to the motion to dismiss by August 14, 2026, clarifying jurisdictional bases for her claims.

A native and citizen of India entered the United States without inspection on January 24, 2024, near Tecate, California. He was initially released on his own recognizance with routine ICE reporting requirements. On July 5, 2026, he was arrested in Turlock, California for driving under the influence of alcohol. On July 22, 2026, he was arrested by ICE during a routine check-in and taken into custody at Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California. He filed a habeas corpus petition arguing that his re-detention without a bond hearing violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights. The federal court granted his petition in part, finding that 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), not § 1225(b)(2)(A), governs his detention and that the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he poses a danger to the community or flight risk. The court ordered respondents to provide him with an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge within 14 days, with him entitled to legal representation and at least 72 hours notice.

A man is currently detained at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas. He filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 in the United States District Court, Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division, challenging his detention. The court ordered respondents to file a response within 7 days identifying pertinent factual and procedural background information, including the date Petitioner entered the United States, whether he was previously apprehended and released by immigration authorities, and the status of his immigration and/or removal proceedings. The petitioner may file a reply within 7 days after the respondents' response.

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.

An immigration detainee filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging her detention at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas. The court ordered respondents to file a response within 7 days identifying pertinent factual and procedural background information, including the date petitioner entered the United States, whether she was previously apprehended and released by immigration authorities, and the status of her immigration and removal proceedings.

A detainee held at Webb County Detention Center in federal immigration custody filed a pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus challenging the constitutionality of his detention. The court ordered respondents (the Warden, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of ICE) to file a response by July 30, 2026, with the petitioner able to reply by August 13, 2026. The court also ordered that respondents notify the court of any planned transfer or release.

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 his 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.