Human Impact Project

A Laotian refugee who entered the United States in 1988 as a child refugee and was adjusted to lawful permanent resident status was detained by ICE on March 3, 2026, when he reported to the ICE office in Portland, Oregon. He was taken to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. He has a U.S. citizen spouse, one child, and four step-children. A final removal order to Laos was entered on January 5, 2012, but he had been released on Orders of Supervision since May 2015 based on nonremovability. On January 8, 2026, his spouse filed an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. He was served with a Notice of Revocation of Release citing changed circumstances making removal reasonably foreseeable. On April 10, 2026, ICE obtained a Laissez-Passer from Laos valid for 90 days. He filed a habeas corpus petition and motion for temporary restraining order seeking to prevent his removal and transfer pending the court's consideration of his case. On May 1, 2026, the federal magistrate judge denied his motion, finding he had not shown a likelihood of success on the merits because ICE had obtained a valid travel document establishing an unchallenged basis for his detention.

Paulino Martin San Pedro, a handyman who lived and worked in Oregon for years, was arrested by ICE agents in Washington County in late 2025 during an enforcement surge in the Pacific Northwest. The arrests were part of an operation internally called 'Operation Black Rose,' which resulted in a 600% increase in apprehensions in Multnomah County and a 2,100% increase in Washington County. After his arrest, San Pedro was deported to Mexico, where he died in February 2026 from pneumonia complications.

Martin Romero was deported to Mexico while dealing with multiple serious health conditions including lupus vasculitis, hypertension, anemia, and kidney failure requiring dialysis every other day. His daughter created a fundraiser to help cover the costs of his medical treatment, medications, specialist visits, and transportation to dialysis appointments in Mexico, as the family struggles with overwhelming medical expenses.

A U.S. citizen and Latina woman named Maria, a citizen for seven years, was stopped by four ICE agents in unmarked vehicles while driving to pick up a birthday cake for her grandson in Salem, Oregon. Agents broke her car window, pulled her from the vehicle, and threw her to the ground, leaving only after finding her passport and telling her to renew it, without calling for medical help. She suffered a concussion, torn rotator cuff, and bruised ribs, and Salem Police told her family they could not investigate federal officer misconduct. On July 28, U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas cited her case at a congressional hearing in Houston, calling for body cameras on immigration agents and independent investigations when they injure people.

A 7-year-old girl and her parents from Venezuela were detained by immigration agents outside a Portland hospital emergency department on January 16 while seeking emergency medical care for the child's prolonged nosebleed. After three weeks at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, the family was released on February 7, though Congresswoman Maxine Dexter stated she was unsure why ICE approved their release. The detention marked one of the first confirmed cases of an entire family detained in Oregon during the Trump administration's escalated deportation campaign.

On August 13, 2025, DHS agents deployed tear gas and fired less-lethal bullets from the roof of an ICE facility at 4310 S Macadam Ave in Portland, targeting civilians peacefully demonstrating on the public sidewalk. A U.S. military veteran was violently attacked from behind, assaulted, and pinned to the ground while being exposed to tear gas for approximately two minutes by three DHS agents. On January 31, 2026, federal agents deployed tear gas on a densely packed crowd of peaceful anti-ICE protesters during a labor union-led rally and march near the ICE facility. The crowd included children, elderly people, and pets who marched from Elizabeth Caruthers Park before being trapped in lingering tear gas plumes. Agents used tear gas again on February 3. The ACLU of Oregon filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of five plaintiffs: Jack Dickinson (known as "the Portland chicken"), Laurie Eckman (84), Richard Eckman, Mason Lake, and Hugo Rios. Laurie Eckman was shot in the head with a crowd control munition without warning; her husband was tear-gassed and had a munition fired at his walker. Dickinson was repeatedly assaulted and bombarded with chemical munitions. Independent journalists Lake and Rios were shot with pepper balls, tear-gassed, had lights pointed at them to interfere with recording, and Lake was sprayed with bear mace. U.S. District Judge Michael Simon issued a temporary restraining order on February 3 pausing tear gas or crowd control munitions use on non-violent protesters and journalists unless targeting a specific imminent threat. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed an amicus brief supporting the lawsuit.

A 19-year-old anti-ICE protester was sprayed with chemical agent by a federal officer during a protest in Portland. The protester was vocal but nonviolent and standing still when sprayed. Video evidence documents the incident.

Thousands of protesters marched to an ICE facility in South Portland on Saturday as part of a "Labor Against ICE" rally organized by local unions. Federal agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades after some protesters approached the building's security gate. The protest coincided with a march honoring Alex Pretti, an intensive-care nurse fatally shot by Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis.

A Salem woman who is a U.S. citizen was pulled from her vehicle by federal law enforcement officers on January 29, 2026. After being boxed in by unmarked vehicles, agents broke her car window and pulled her to the ground. She suffered a concussion, torn rotator cuff, and bruised ribs.

Multiple protesters were detained and injured during an anti-ICE demonstration at the Eugene Federal Building on January 27, 2026. Federal officers deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and flash-bangs, detaining at least nine demonstrators. Several protesters reported injuries including bruises, hyperextended limbs, and eye injuries sustained during the law enforcement response.

A 25-year-old Guatemalan woman of indigenous Mam ethnicity was detained on January 16, 2026, at an ICE check-in appointment in Eugene due to a pending felony criminal mistreatment case in Marion County. She claims persecution in Guatemala based on her indigenous heritage and reports her daughter is at risk of violence because her former partner is a gang member. Court records show she was released pending the outcome of her habeas petition after attorneys argued she posed neither a flight risk nor danger to the community.

A family of three from Venezuela—parents Yohendry De Jesus Crespo and Darianny Liseth Gonzalez De Crespo, and their 7-year-old daughter Diana—were detained by immigration officers in a parking lot at Portland Adventist Health on January 16, 2026, while attempting to seek medical care for the child's nosebleed. The family, who entered the U.S. through a port of entry in California and have a pending asylum application, is now being held at ICE's South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.

Misael Garcia Lopez, 48, spent 18 years building a life in Eugene, Oregon with his wife Valeria and three children—Leo, 11, Jasmine, 22, and Luis—working in landscaping, roofing, and other jobs. On November 19, 2025, ICE agents in unmarked vehicles conducted a traffic stop near Meadowlark Prairie minutes after he dropped Leo at school and arrested him for lacking legal status, despite his clean criminal record. Over nearly two months detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, Garcia Lopez received support letters from family, friends, and community members attesting to his work ethic, kindness, and role as a devoted father. His 22-year-old daughter Jasmine, a U.S. citizen and certified nursing assistant, spoke publicly about his case despite her mother's fear. On January 15, 2026, Garcia Lopez accepted voluntary departure and was deported to Mexico, arriving with only 96 cents and no documents. His family remained in Oregon; months later, he watched via video call as his grandson was born.

In December 2025 and January 2026, federal agents posing as utility company employees lured residents out of their homes in Gresham, Oregon, leading to the detention of at least three people, according to state Rep. Ricky Ruiz. Ruiz said agents used the ruse to get one man to leave his house before taking him into custody, and he later contacted NW Natural and Portland General Electric after hearing of similar incidents. Both utilities have since issued customer guidance—NW Natural's published in seven languages—explaining that their employees wear uniforms and badges, never demand immediate home entry, and typically only need yard access to reach meters. ICE did not respond to requests for comment on the incidents.

Miguel Garcia Pazaran and his wife Dulce Maria Trejo Segura were pulled over by immigration agents while driving to work in Hillsboro, Oregon and detained without proper clothing. The couple was taken to a detention center in Tacoma and deported to Mexico within eight days, leaving behind their 2-year-old daughter Sofía, who is a U.S. citizen.

Paulino Martin, an undocumented handyman who lived in Beaverton for over 30 years, was detained by ICE while driving to get lunch and deported to Mexico within three days. The community gathered at Southridge High School to rally in support of Martin, a father of three with no criminal record, as speakers praised his character and work ethic.

Christian Jimenez, 17, a U.S. citizen and high school senior in Oregon, was stopped and detained by ICE officers on November 21, 2025, during his lunch break while driving his father's car. Officers broke the driver's side window despite Jimenez telling them he was a U.S. citizen. He was held at ICE's Portland facility for nearly seven hours before being released and now faces charges of interference or obstruction of investigation. DHS claimed the teenager violently attacked officers with his vehicle, but his family and immigrant-justice groups disputed this account. Jimenez was one of four U.S. citizens detained by ICE in the Portland area that week, prompting a 300-student walkout and community protests over ICE enforcement tactics near schools.

A 17-year-old U.S. citizen and high school senior was detained by ICE agents in Yamhill County, Oregon on Friday during the school lunch period. According to ICE, the student allegedly followed and obstructed federal agents in a vehicle. The student's family confirmed he is a U.S. citizen. McMinnville School District Superintendent Kourtney Ferrua stated the school had not previously had ICE visits and is working to support students' social and emotional needs following the incident. The minor was transported to the ERO Portland office for investigation and potential federal prosecution for impeding federal law enforcement officers. Students nearby witnessed the detention.

Isaias Eduardo Soto Elias, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE Border Patrol agents in Yamhill County after allegedly following and obstructing the agents in a vehicle on Friday. He was transported to the ERO Portland office for investigation and federal prosecution for impeding federal law enforcement officers. DHS stated the detentions occurred during ICE sweeps in the county that resulted in at least seven other arrests.

Christian Jimenez, 17, a U.S. citizen and high school senior, was detained by ICE officers while driving off school grounds during lunch break in McMinnville. An officer broke the car's driver's side window and detained Jimenez despite him stating he was a U.S. citizen. He was transported to an ICE facility in South Portland and released shortly before 7 p.m. Authorities are attempting to charge his brother with obstruction of investigation.