Human Impact Project

The petitioner is being held in immigration detention at the Midwest Regional Reception Center in Kansas under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which allows for discretionary release on bond. In an earlier habeas case, the court ruled on June 3, 2026 that his detention was governed by this discretionary bond statute and ordered the government to provide him a bond hearing before an immigration judge. That immigration judge subsequently denied his request for release on bond. He has now filed a new habeas petition arguing that changed circumstances entitle him to a second bond hearing under federal regulations, and he states he is simultaneously requesting such a hearing from the immigration court. He is separately appealing his removal order to the Board of Immigration Appeals but is not challenging that order or the immigration judge's initial bond denial in this petition. The court found he had not yet shown any violation of federal law, since the government has not denied his pending request for a second hearing. The judge ordered him to show cause by September 25, 2026 why the petition should not be denied, noting the case could become moot if the second hearing is granted or could proceed if the request is denied or ignored.

The petitioner was detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) when ICE officers informed him on September 8, 2026, that he was going to be removed from the United States. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus along with an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order seeking to block his removal until the court could rule on his habeas petition. The court entered its standard scheduling order requiring the government to provide at least 48 hours' notice (72 hours if over a weekend or holiday) before transferring or removing him. The court denied the TRO motion as moot, finding that the scheduling order's notice requirement adequately protected him from imminent removal, and noted that ICE represented it was aware of and would comply with the notice requirement. The court also struck the petitioner's unauthorized reply brief filed in violation of local rules.

Federal agents returned to the area of the Geisinger Medical Center construction project on September 8, following earlier September 2 arrests connected to the same project, with advocates reporting eight more people detained in the second operation. Workers told advocates that agents used drones, monitored vehicles and worked with local police during the arrests, with one worker describing it as feeling like a "manhunt" that has left coworkers afraid to return to work. Advocacy groups have said more than 40 workers were detained across both operations, but an ICE spokesperson said the agency arrested 10 people in Danville, stating they face felony charges for illegal reentry after prior removal and did not cite any record of violent crime.

ICE agents conducted an operation in the parking lot of a Home Depot on 43rd Avenue in west Phoenix, detaining about 10 people early Saturday morning, including day laborers waiting for work and some customers exiting the store. Witnesses said agents disguised themselves as day laborers and unhoused people before making arrests, and cell phone video showed men handcuffed and seated beside the road as agents surrounded them. Erika Andiola of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and Clarissa Vela of People First Project said many of those detained did not match the administration's stated focus on people with criminal records, with some detainees having only come to shop. Activists noted ICE Mobile Criminal Apprehension Teams have routinely conducted undercover license-plate-scanning operations at the same location. ICE has not publicly released details about the operation, and protesters and day laborers returned to the store two days later.

Galina Bobreneva, a 40-year-old Russian national who entered the U.S. legally on a tourist visa in 2021, extended her stay after the war in Ukraine began, and applied for asylum in 2022, was detained by a plainclothes ICE agent at Burbank airport on July 13 while traveling with her husband, Brent Jindra, a technology salesman who says he voted for Trump three times. The couple married in December 2025, and Jindra had filed a marriage-based green card petition for her in April, with fingerprinting already completed; her lawyer maintains she was never out of lawful status, while DHS says she overstayed her visa and calls her 'an illegal alien.' She spent 16 days in detention, including a night on the floor of a basement holding cell in downtown Los Angeles and about two weeks at the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility, where she said she was treated 'like a piece of meat, not like a human,' citing sleep deprivation, only four working showers for about 120 women, scarce drinking water, and denied healthcare. She was released on July 29 on a $35,000 bond and fitted with an electronic monitor, with an ICE check-in scheduled for September 7 and a court appearance set for October 22. 'A US citizen just watched his wife get dragged away and had no idea where she's going,' Jindra said. 'We are living in fear in my own country.'

Ramon Avilez-Frias and Maria Del Pilar Moreno-Loredo, longtime employees of Cisco's, Austin's oldest Tex-Mex restaurant and bakery serving the East Austin community for more than 75 years, were detained by ICE on September 7 at 6 a.m. as they arrived for work. Both are described by employer Matt Cisneros as hardworking, tax-paying people with no criminal records who are parents and spouses. Cisneros started a GoFundMe to help their families cover legal costs and daily expenses while they remain in ICE custody, and as of September 11 the campaign had raised more than $21,000 of its $22,000 goal from over 270 donations.

Luis Alejandro Olarte Gosling, a 19-year-old Washington and Lee University sophomore attending on a full QuestBridge scholarship, and his father Luis Felipe Olarte Lugo, 55, were detained by ICE and Border Patrol agents during a traffic stop on Interstate 95 in St. Johns County, Florida. The two were driving from Orlando to Virginia so Luis Alejandro could begin his sophomore year, having chosen to drive rather than fly due to fears about ICE activity at airports. The family are Venezuelan asylum seekers with a pending immigration court case who say they held valid work permits, attended every required appointment, and have never been arrested. Their car was towed, and both remain held at Baker Correctional Institute in Sanderson, Florida, where they have reported extreme heat and insufficient food. A GoFundMe was set up by the family to support them, and Washington and Lee University said it is 'aware of the situation and concerned for the individual and his family.'

Ibrahim Topkaya, a 33-year-old medical doctor from Turkey working as a bioengineering researcher studying diabetes at Upstate Medical University, was detained by U.S. immigration officials after a GPS error rerouted him toward the Canadian border while he was returning from a trip to Niagara Falls with his visiting mother. Canadian border patrol turned him around with documentation confirming he never entered Canada, but U.S. officials detained him upon his return, and he is now held at the Batavia federal detention facility. His friend Omar Alsafadi said Topkaya has an approved asylum case, active work authorization, and a Social Security number, and described him as a well-respected researcher who has authored numerous medical papers. The Department of Homeland Security said Topkaya overstayed his authorized status after legally entering the country in June 2023. Topkaya has requested research materials to continue his work while detained, and his mother, visiting from Turkey for the first time in three years, has extended her stay while awaiting updates on his case.

Humberto Castro, a 59-year-old Venezuelan who has lived in Doral, Florida for eight years, was detained by ICE agents while driving to work. His daughter, Arianna Castro, said he holds a work permit valid until 2030 and has a pending asylum application, with no criminal record. He is being held at ICE offices in Miramar while his daughter tries to secure his release on bond. His case comes amid a wave of arrests of Venezuelans in South Florida that prompted two exile organizations to send Congress a report demanding oversight hearings and data on detainees with pending immigration cases.

A Maryland man named Aquino, described by his family as the sole provider for his wife and five children, was taken into ICE custody after being pulled over by police for a broken vehicle light. His family says it remains unclear why he was detained or why he continues to be held. Family friend Kristi Voigt said Aquino has lived in the U.S. for 23 years and called him 'a good man.' A GoFundMe launched to cover legal expenses and household costs raised more than $10,000 from 161 donors within three days.

Five men from an extended Mexican family in Snohomish County — described as fathers, husbands, uncles, godfathers, and primary breadwinners — were detained by ICE during a Labor Day weekend camping trip at Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near Granite Falls, Washington. U.S. Forest Service rangers first visited the campsite over a reported trash complaint and photographed the men's identification; one individual who had posed as a ranger later returned armed with a rifle as ICE 'backup.' Just before midnight, armed ICE agents returned, initially identifying themselves as police before revealing they were immigration officers, shook tents, and handcuffed the men one by one in front of children ages 1 to 14 and a pregnant mother. Carmen, 19, said she watched agents arrest her father, uncles, and godfathers, and that the experience traumatized younger cousins who had viewed the campground as a safe retreat. Families said they had no cell service and could not reach a lawyer or the detained men until after the holiday weekend. DHS said four of the five men had no criminal record aside from a 2016 misdemeanor negligent driving conviction, citing prior voluntary returns to Mexico, a 2021 driving-related arrest, and unlawful entry as grounds for removal proceedings. The men remain at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, and families are raising roughly $100,000 for legal fees and living expenses while fearing transfer out of state. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson called the detentions cruel and ordered a legal investigation, while Representative Pramila Jayapal demanded answers about whether federal land management staff improperly facilitated civil immigration enforcement.

ICE agents detained Arturo Vasquez, a 48-year-old father with no criminal record, while he was a paying customer getting his family car washed in Culver City, California in June 2025; his teenage son was recorded on video pleading with agents as his father was driven away. In a separate incident in spring 2025, Cuban national Eduardo Nuñez Gonzalez was detained by ICE outside his North Miami home while carrying a bag of household trash to the curb; his family said he had no history of criminal charges. Rather than remain in a New Mexico detention facility for months contesting his case, Nuñez Gonzalez ultimately chose deportation to Spain. Both cases were cited amid a surge in ICE arrests, with Los Angeles-area arrests reaching a rolling average of roughly 100 a day, including a single-day record of 228 arrests on July 11. Data showed Latino immigrants were being arrested at 115 times the rate of other groups.

Jose Antonio Caballero-Nolasco, a 32-year-old Salvadoran national living in the U.S. without legal status, was charged with manslaughter and vehicular homicide after allegedly driving drunk the wrong way on the I-270 Spur in Bethesda/Montgomery County, Maryland, causing a head-on collision. The crash killed 46-year-old Musammat Shamima Begum and her 23-year-old daughter Areebah Jahin, and left an 8-year-old girl in their vehicle with life-threatening injuries. Caballero-Nolasco was treated at a hospital before being transferred to the Montgomery County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond. ICE lodged an immigration detainer asking local officials not to release him, though Montgomery County's sanctuary policies and Maryland's Community Trust Act make it unclear whether the detainer will be honored. His attorney said he is a construction worker who has lived in the U.S. for 10 years and is expecting a child with his girlfriend.

Federal agents from ICE, Border Patrol, FBI, DEA, IRS, and ATF raided the Hyundai-LG battery plant megasite in Bryan County, Georgia, in September 2025, detaining about 450-475 workers in what Homeland Security Investigations called the largest single-site immigration enforcement action in its history. Roughly 300 of those detained were South Korean nationals, mostly employed by HL-GA Battery Company LLC and LG Energy Solutions, with ICE alleging many had overstayed visa waivers or held B-1 visas not authorizing manual labor; at least one worker with valid documentation was also arrested. Search warrants indicated investigators were probing a conspiracy to harbor undocumented workers, and agents seized employment records, computers, and storage drives. South Korea's president and foreign minister raised concerns over the workers' treatment and negotiated their return, while South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned the raid could deter future Korean investment in the U.S. The raid halted construction, delaying the plant's opening by two to three months, though some South Korean workers later returned to Georgia and resumed their jobs by November 2025. One year after the raid, the Department of Justice confirmed no criminal charges had been filed and the federal court case was closed, with no consequences for the companies that employed the workers.

A 22-year-old Filipina registered nurse working in an acute-care telemetry unit at a Phoenix hospital was detained by ICE agents at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Her family says she held a valid work permit at the time and has no criminal history, and they remain unaware of the reason for her detention. She was transferred to the Eloy Detention Center, and her immigration case has a court hearing scheduled for September 4. Her boyfriend set up a GoFundMe page to help cover legal and financial costs as proceedings continue.

Jean Alix Comper, a Haitian citizen, was arrested by ICE in Englewood on Sept. 4 and has since challenged his detention at the Butler County Jail in federal court. He argues he has been held without bond and has not received an adequate assessment determining that his continued incarceration is necessary.

Simranpal Singh, an Indian national who entered the United States through Arizona in June 2022 and was later released by immigration authorities, was arrested by an ICE officer during a commercial vehicle inspection at a weigh station in Newberry, Pennsylvania. At the time of his arrest, Singh had an outstanding warrant for wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy out of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and he held a commercial driver's license issued by New York State. He is being held in ICE custody pending transfer to the U.S. Marshals Service for the federal criminal case, after which ICE says it intends to resume custody of him for removal proceedings.

Kira Inthisane, who is currently deployed overseas, started a fundraiser after learning her mother had been taken into ICE custody. Kira said she has spent her own resources on legal fees to try to keep her mother from being deported and is seeking donations to continue funding the legal fight.

A Colombian woman who entered the United States on a B-1/B-2 visa in December 2020 was detained by federal law enforcement on September 4, 2026, while attempting to board a flight at the San Juan airport. She has a pending derivative asylum application tied to a petition filed by her father with USCIS. After her detention, ICE officers at the Guaynabo office reportedly told her that if she did not accept voluntary departure, a Notice to Appear would be filed; she declined and was placed in civil immigration custody at the San Juan Staging Facility in Guaynabo. She requested a bond hearing on September 7, 2026, but before it was resolved, ICE informed her she would be transferred to a detention facility in Florida. She filed a habeas corpus petition and a motion for a temporary restraining order, arguing her detention violated her Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights and seeking to block her transfer and secure her release. The district court granted in part her TRO request, ordering that she not be transferred out of Puerto Rico and that she be given a bond hearing before an immigration judge by September 23, 2026, while denying her request for immediate release and holding the underlying habeas petition in abeyance.

Oscar Sanchez-Corona, a 36-year-old construction worker who was brought to the U.S. as an infant and grew up attending Shawnee Mission schools, was detained by ICE agents on August 18 while pouring concrete at a job site in Lawrence, Kansas, shackled in front of coworkers. Over 18 days he was transferred through Leavenworth's Midwest Regional Reception Center, Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana, and a facility in El Paso, Texas, describing leaking ceilings, understaffed units, inadequate food, denial of contact lens solution, and witnessing other detainees struggle to get insulin; he said he lost eight pounds. He was ultimately deported on foot into Juarez, Mexico, separating him from the two elementary school-aged children he shares custody of in Johnson County. DHS cited reinstatement of a prior removal order tied to a teenage misdemeanor property-damage charge, a 2013 deportation after failing to comply with a voluntary departure order, illegal re-entry, and convictions for drug paraphernalia possession, criminal property damage, and driving without a license. A family friend, Skylar Roush, described him as 'a regular American guy' who lived a peaceful life as a worker and father, and his daughter drew a picture asking ICE not to take him away.