Human Impact Project

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) agents used force against two U.S. citizen minors during an enforcement operation in the Pueblo de Palmas neighborhood of Edinburg, Texas on April 23, 2026. A 16-year-old boy was struck in the face with a closed fist by an agent, and a 14-year-old girl was detained and allegedly grabbed around the neck. The incident was documented on video and shared on social media. ICE has not issued a public statement regarding the alleged use of force.

William Alexander Alfaro, a Honduran national with an active asylum case, was detained by ICE agents on March 18, 2026, while driving his three children to school in San Antonio, Texas. Alfaro held a valid work permit and driver's license and was in compliance with the asylum process. He was arrested at Crosspoint, an ICE check-in and processing facility in San Antonio, as he arrived for a scheduled appointment. During approximately one month in ICE detention, Alfaro was not treated for a knee tumor requiring emergency surgery. He was deported to Honduras without receiving the scheduled medical procedure, likely resulting in amputation. His wife, who witnessed the initial detention, now fears she will be targeted for deportation, which would leave their three U.S. citizen children in San Antonio without parents.

Wilfido Nolberto Cortez Esteban, a Guatemalan father, and his minor daughter Keyra Issa Susana Cortez Calderon were detained by immigration authorities after previously being released on Cortez Esteban's own recognizance while he served as his daughter's guardian. The detention came months after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied their petition for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture, finding that threats against the family stemmed from personal retribution over Cortez Esteban reporting a vehicle theft rather than a protected ground, and that relatives in Guatemala remained unharmed. Despite the denial, the pair had remained fully compliant with all ICE obligations, attending every immigration court hearing and committing no crimes since their release. A federal judge granted an emergency Temporary Restraining Order finding they had a strong likelihood of being entitled to a pre-deprivation hearing before an immigration judge, ordering the government to release both from custody and barring their re-detention or removal until a proper hearing was held before a neutral decisionmaker.

Carlos Bejarano was detained by ICE on April 22, 2026, in Kissimmee, Florida. Described as a hardworking father and family provider, his detention has left his family struggling financially. His family is seeking donations and financial support to cover legal expenses and basic needs while he faces immigration proceedings.

ICE agents disguised as contractors offered children $100 to perform yard work in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, then revealed themselves when the children arrived. Two minors fled and fell from a second-story balcony while being chased by agents, sustaining severe leg injuries. One minor was detained after being taken to an emergency room; the second minor, also with a leg fracture, avoided seeking medical care out of fear.

Walter Marcelino Chao was deported by the U.S. government to Lima, Peru, resulting in separation from his young daughter Ashley, who no longer recognizes him. The child, who had lived with her father in Miami Gardens, now refuses to acknowledge him during video calls and has become withdrawn. The family was unable to prevent the deportation despite pleas to authorities.

Children's entertainer Ms. Rachel appeared on MSNBC to describe conditions at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas after speaking with detained families. She reported undrinkable water, worms in the food, rotten food, and dangerously inadequate medical care for children in ICE custody.

A 16-year-old identified as "Elias" in court filings was deported to Guatemala without a removal order or any attempt to obtain one, according to a pending lawsuit filed in the District of Columbia. His lawyers argue that "this removal was lawless: Defendants had no removal order for Elias, nor did they even attempt to obtain one." The case follows a similar pattern to Mario Mata Cruz's deportation and is part of a broader pattern documented by lawyers across the country of noncitizens being deported without final removal orders from immigration judges.

Venezuelan physician Rubeliz "Bibi" Bolívar and her 5-year-old daughter Milena were detained by ICE while Bolívar was en route to an asylum interview. Bolívar held a valid work permit (EAD) and an approved I-485 employment-based visa petition. The organization Médicos Unidos Venezuela demanded their immediate release. A Venezuelan physician was detained by immigration authorities in Nashville while attending an official asylum appointment. The detention followed an administrative change to his case after it was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. He is currently held in custody in Louisiana and has health concerns including hypertension, severe scoliosis, and recent respiratory symptoms. Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar, an emergency medicine resident in McAllen, Texas, was detained by ICE at McAllen International Airport on April 11, 2026, while traveling with her five-year-old U.S. citizen daughter to a scheduled asylum interview in California. Dr. Bolivar held a valid work permit and had pending asylum and green card applications. She was released from custody the same night.

Bruno Guedes da Silva, a Brazilian man who fled to the U.S. in 2022 seeking asylum, was detained by ICE agents in Sewickley, Pennsylvania on February 21, 2026, despite possessing valid work authorization, a Social Security number, and a driver's license. ICE cited a warrant for felony charges related to firearms and falsification of documents, though those criminal charges were later dropped related to allegedly lying about his immigration status on a firearm purchase application in July 2024. His 6-year-old daughter, Maria, began chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma shortly after his detention. Da Silva was held at Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville, West Virginia, until a judge granted him bond on immigration charges in April 2026, allowing him to reunite with his daughter.

Michelle Mendoza, a U.S. citizen and mother of two young children, was detained by ICE agents on April 15, 2026, during a school drop-off at the intersection of Main Street and Bangs Avenue in Asbury Park, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Agents took her to the ground, causing visible bruising, and handcuffed her in front of her children (ages 9 and 1). Some ICE agents covered their faces during the arrest, allegedly violating New Jersey state law prohibiting masked officers during enforcement actions. Mendoza was released without charges after eight hours at the Newark ICE detention center (Delaney Hall), though her husband remained in ICE custody. The incident prompted community protests and statements from city officials and state legislators.

A Santa Maria man's five-year-old daughter was released after 20 hours in ICE detention at a Texas airport. The child's mother, Dr. Rubilez Bolivar, a Venezuelan national with valid work visas and a pending asylum case who was in medical residency in southern Texas, remains in ICE custody after an immigration official declared her documents invalid.

A native and citizen of El Salvador who entered the United States in 2019 after fleeing persecution and torture. He was apprehended near the San Ysidro Port of Entry and expressed immediate fear of return. In August 2019, an Immigration Judge granted him withholding of removal under the Convention Against Torture (CAT), finding he faced torture if returned to El Salvador due to false gang affiliation accusations by Salvadoran authorities. He was released on an Order of Supervision and faithfully complied with all conditions for nearly seven years, attending every ICE check-in, obtaining continuous employment authorization, working legally since 2021, and living in California with his partner and their seven-year-old daughter. On April 14, 2026, he voluntarily appeared for his routine ICE check-in in Los Angeles but was re-detained without any pre-deprivation notice, hearing, or explanation of the basis for detention. He was transferred to Adelanto ICE Processing Center and then moved out of jurisdiction to El Paso, Texas without required notice. DHS issued notice of intent to remove him to Mexico, a third country not designated in his original removal order. On May 7, 2026, the federal court granted his temporary restraining order (TRO), ordering his immediate release under previous supervision conditions and enjoining his removal to any third country without notice and opportunity to be heard on fear-based claims.

Annie Yaritza Ramos Alvarado, a 22-year-old Honduran-born immigrant who arrived in the U.S. as a toddler in 2005, was detained by ICE agents on April 2, 2026, at Fort Polk military base in Louisiana while attempting to complete paperwork to move in with her spouse, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Matthew Blank, 23, whom she had recently married. Ramos was a college student with no criminal history who had applied for DACA status in 2020, though her application was never processed. She was working with a lawyer to adjust her immigration status through marriage, a process that typically allows spouses of U.S. citizens to obtain legal permanent residency. She had been subject to an outstanding removal order issued in 2005 after her family missed an immigration court hearing when she was 22 months old. After being held for nearly a week at an ICE detention facility in Basile, Louisiana, Ramos was released on April 7 and ordered to wear a GPS monitor while removal proceedings continue.

Tania Warner, a 47-year-old Canadian citizen from Penticton, B.C., with a valid U.S. work visa through 2030 and a Social Security number, and her seven-year-old autistic daughter Ayla Lucas were detained at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita, Texas, on March 14, 2026, while returning from a baby shower with Warner's American husband Edward. The family, who had lived in Kingsville for five years, was separated from Edward and held at the Ursula Central Processing Center in McAllen, sleeping on the floor of a cold cellblock for five days before being transferred to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Warner said guards were "sadistic, inhumane and abusive," taunted her for being Canadian, and pressured her to self-deport, telling her she could do it "the easy way or the hard way." Ayla suffered chemical burns and a stress-related rash from harsh cleaning products, and the family reported inadequate healthcare, food shortages, and insufficient schooling during roughly three weeks in custody. Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee called the detention "extrajudicial," and Congressman Vicente Gonzalez said neither Tania nor Ayla should have been detained. Warner was released on bond of $9,500 on April 2-3, 2026, fitted with an ankle monitor she is contesting in court, and plans to file a lawsuit alleging unlawful detention and harm to her daughter.

A federal judge in Los Angeles ordered the Department of Homeland Security to stop using coercive language to pressure unaccompanied immigrant children to self-deport, ruling the practice violated a 40-year-old court mandate. Beginning in September 2025, DHS had advised detained minors they would face prolonged detention if they did not leave the U.S. and threatened to prosecute their sponsors. The judge rejected the government's request to end the longstanding safeguards protecting children's due process rights, citing language that "disturbingly mirrors" coercion documented in a 1985 case that established these protections.

A family of four from the Durham, North Carolina area—Genesis (11), Denis (6), and their parents—was detained by ICE agents during a scheduled immigration appointment in Charlotte on April 10, 2026, and deported to Honduras within 48 hours. The family had been seeking asylum since 2022 after arriving from Honduras and had complied with immigration requirements for four years with no criminal record. ICE cited a final removal order based on a missed immigration hearing and unauthorized entry. Advocates including Siembra NC and relatives disputed the circumstances, arguing the family was following the asylum process and did not receive adequate due process or time to seek legal representation. The rapid deportation prompted responses from Durham Public Schools, local lawmakers, and community protests.

Mauro Yosueth Henriquez, 18, a senior at Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center in Houston and varsity soccer team co-captain, was detained by ICE on December 16, 2025, during a routine immigration check-in with his father. He was held at multiple ICE facilities including Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe and Livingston before being transferred to federal detention. After nearly four months in custody, Henriquez was deported to Honduras in February 2026. His detention prompted Houston students to organize protests calling for his release so he could graduate with his class. Elected officials and Houston-area Democrats responded to the case, while Texas Republican leaders declined to comment. Mauro Yosueth Henriquez, a senior captain and midfielder on the Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center soccer team, and his father Mauro Rigoberto Henriquez were detained by ICE on December 16 and are reportedly held at a detention center in Conroe. The younger Henriquez is also a volunteer soccer coach in the community. Neither has a criminal record according to Harris County District Clerk's Office, and both are originally from Honduras. Community members organized a protest on Tuesday evening calling for Henriquez's release so he can graduate with his class. Mauro Henriquez, an 18-year-old senior and soccer team captain at Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center in Houston, was taken into custody by ICE along with his father while attending an immigration meeting in early December 2025. Henriquez and his father, both from Honduras, were seeking asylum in the U.S. and have been detained at Montgomery Processing Center for over 50 days. Henriquez is an A and B student who has lived in the U.S. since grade school and serves as a volunteer soccer coach at his church. Christian Jimenez, a 17-year-old US citizen and senior at McMinnville High School, was detained by ICE officers after they smashed the window of his father's car during his lunch break. Despite repeatedly asserting his citizenship, an officer broke the car window and ordered him out of the vehicle. Jimenez was taken to an ICE facility in South Portland and held for several hours before being released that evening. Authorities later attempted to charge him with interference or obstruction of investigation.

Ariadna Zumba, 18, a native of Spain who has lived in the United States since she was nine and holds Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, was detained by ICE on April 9, 2026, while walking near her home, without agents presenting a warrant or immediately notifying her family. She was held for 53 days at Delaney Hall in Newark, run by the GEO Group, missing her senior prom and high school graduation, before being released June 1, 2026, after filing a habeas corpus petition. She later received her diploma at a mid-August ceremony at Orange High School. Zumba described moldy food, overcrowding, inadequate medical care and early-morning room checks at Delaney Hall, said she joined a hunger strike over conditions before stopping after officers threatened additional charges, and helped other detainees with translation and paperwork; she has no criminal record, was accepted to Essex County College, and plans to study social sciences before transferring to Montclair State University and eventually attending law school, though she has another ICE appointment scheduled for January.

Genesis, 11, and Denis, 6, students at Burton Magnet Elementary School in Durham, were detained and deported to Honduras along with their parents in April 2026. The family had lived in the United States for four years after seeking asylum from Honduras in 2022. According to Siembra NC, the family was detained during a regularly scheduled asylum administrative appointment and then deported. ICE stated the family failed to appear for an immigration hearing and had no pending asylum claims. State Senator Sophia Chitlik and advocacy groups argued the family's due process was violated and that they were doing everything required by the immigration system.