HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

We collect individual stories of people impacted by U.S. immigration enforcement from news reporting, court records, and community accounts into one searchable public database, updated daily and reviewed by our team. The Human Impact Project is run by the Human Security Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

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383 incidents with known locations

ICE Agents Arrest Volunteer Observer, Pepper Spray Attorney

Jul 9, 2025Santa Barbara, CA

Two federal ICE agents arrested 27-year-old Jack Randmaa and pepper sprayed 80-year-old attorney Doug Hayes during a chaotic scene in downtown Santa Barbara. Randmaa, a volunteer ICE observer, was allegedly arrested after approaching an ICE vehicle on Carrillo Street, with agents accusing him of slashing a tire, though his father claims the charges are false.

6-year-old with leukemia detained by ICE for a month, released after lawsuit

Jul 4, 2025Los Angeles, CAHonduras

N.M.Z., a 6-year-old Honduran boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, was arrested by ICE agents along with his mother and 9-year-old sister outside a Los Angeles immigration courtroom on May 29, 2025, following an asylum hearing. He missed a scheduled medical appointment for worsening leukemia symptoms and was transported with his family to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, where he developed easy bruising, bone pain, and loss of appetite during roughly a month in custody. Attorneys from Columbia Law School and the Texas Civil Rights Project filed a lawsuit arguing the arrests violated the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. ICE released the family without a court order, transferring them to a South Texas shelter before flying them to Los Angeles on July 2, 2025, where they reunited with relatives. The Department of Homeland Security said the boy had been examined multiple times in custody and denied medical neglect, while attorneys said public pressure contributed to the release; after returning home, the child showed severe trauma symptoms, including hiding from strangers and fear of anyone in uniform.

18-year-old U.S. citizen told 'You don't have any rights here. You are a Migo, brother' during traffic stop in North Palm Beach

July 2025North Palm Beach, FLUnited States

In North Palm Beach, Florida, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen pulled over in a traffic stop was told by an officer: 'You don't have any rights here. You are a Migo, brother.' He was taken into custody despite his mother, who was also a passenger, reportedly telling officers that he was a U.S. citizen and showing them a picture of his Social Security card. Florida Highway Patrol and Border Patrol agents had stopped a van with him, his mother, and two other workers, one of whom was tased and each put in a chokehold.

Family members arrested after resisting ICE agents' warrantless home entry in Tampa

Jul 2025Tampa, FL

Alfredo Fuentes and Luz Mary Vasquez Cruz, relatives of a man targeted by ICE, were arrested after ICE agents entered their home without a judicial warrant. The agents threatened to break down the door and pointed guns at the family members, who told agents they had no warrant. Fuentes and Cruz were charged with forcibly assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer.

Honduran man with removal order evades ICE agents who entered home without judicial warrant

Jul 2025Tampa, FLHonduras

Marvin Isaac Caceres Maradiaga, a Honduran citizen with a 2023 removal order, was surveilled at his Tampa home by ICE agents who suspected his residence. When ICE confronted him, relatives emerged and an altercation began. ICE agents entered the home without a judicial warrant, obtaining only verbal "consent" after threatening to break down the door. Caceres fled but was later apprehended.

Construction worker detained at Metro stop after warrantless arrest by armed agents

Jun 18, 2025Los Angeles, CA

Pedro Vasquez Perdomo, a 54-year-old Latino man, has lived in Pasadena, California for decades and works as a day laborer in construction while managing diabetes. On June 18, 2025, at 5:30 a.m., he was waiting at a Metro stop near Orange Grove Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue with coworkers to be picked up for a construction job when four large black vehicles with tinted windows arrived. Armed men wearing masks but no visible badges or identification emerged with guns and surrounded him and his coworkers. Perdomo was handcuffed without being informed of any warrant and stated his right to remain silent in English. He was taken to a CVS parking lot where officers searched his pockets, found his expired foreign consular ID, and placed him in a car. He was transported to a detention center in Los Angeles where he was held in a crowded room with 52 others, given minimal food and water, and provided no medical attention for six days despite his diabetes requiring daily medication management. He was then transferred to Adelanto detention facility where he remains shackled and continues to experience health deterioration and psychological distress. Vasquez Perdomo is challenging his detention and the conditions thereof through this litigation.

Border Patrol arrests woman selling tamales, she suffers heart attack

Jun 19, 2025Pacoima, CAMexico

During an immigration sweep on June 19 outside a Lowe's store in Pacoima, Border Patrol agents arrested a 54-year-old woman who had sold tamales at the same spot for 10 years, without presenting a warrant. She lost consciousness after being restrained and later suffered a heart attack; witnesses said a bystander identifying herself as a nurse was denied access to help before LAFD paramedics arrived. She was taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, where doctors confirmed a minor heart attack. A U.S. citizen recording the incident was also arrested and detained, and a federal judge later ruled the sweeps violated the 4th Amendment due to racial profiling.

US citizen photographer arrested while filming ICE raid at Home Depot

Jun 19, 2025Los Angeles, CA

Job Garcia, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and PhD student, was arrested and detained for over 24 hours on June 19, 2025, while filming an ICE immigration raid at a Home Depot in Hollywood, Los Angeles. CBP agents tackled Garcia without warning, smashed his phone, and restrained him as he attempted to document the arrest of day laborers and inform them of their rights. Garcia was released without arraignment or court date notification. MALDEF and Garcia are seeking $1 million in damages from the Department of Homeland Security through a Federal Tort Claims Act notice, citing wrongful arrest, detention based on race, assault, battery, false imprisonment, and interference with his right to document government actions.

Undocumented immigrants arrested at Manhattan immigration court based on fabricated ICE authority

Jun 17, 2025New York, NY

ICE fabricated its authority for over a year to arrest individuals attending legally mandated immigration court hearings at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. A May 2025 ICE guidance memo that agents used to justify the arrests did not actually apply to immigration courts, according to a letter filed by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in March 2026. The agency conducted mass arrests and separated families under false legal pretenses, with agents stalking immigrants in courthouse hallways and transferring detainees across the country to prevent them from meeting with lawyers. The revelation prompted civil rights organizations to request the federal court reconsider its prior denial of a stay on the arrests.

U.S. citizen tackled and detained five days by ICE agents at Montebello tow yard

Jun 16, 2025Montebello, CAUnited States

Javier Ramirez, a U.S. citizen and father of four, was tackled and detained by masked federal immigration agents at a tow yard in Montebello on June 12, 2025. According to security camera footage, an agent allegedly told another agent to arrest Ramirez because he was Mexican. When Ramirez called 911 while handcuffed in a van, police said they could not assist because federal agents were involved. He was held in a downtown Los Angeles facility for more than four days and charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer. The federal case against him was dismissed without prejudice. His attorney believes the charge was fabricated to cover up racial profiling.

ICE arrests DACA recipient deaf man at California car wash

Jun 12, 2025Temple City, CAMexico

Javier Diaz Santana, a 32-year-old deaf DACA recipient with no criminal history, was arrested by ICE agents during a raid at a car wash in Temple City, California on June 12, 2025. Despite being deaf and unable to communicate, agents confiscated his phone and wallet, handcuffed him, and transported him to an El Paso detention center without explaining his detention or accommodating his disability. He was released on July 8 after his attorney provided proof of his DACA status to authorities.

Pregnant U.S. citizen detained by ICE agents, hospitalized with stomach pains

Jun 9, 2025Hawthorne, CA

Cary López Alvarado, a 28-year-old U.S. citizen nine months pregnant, was detained by immigration agents in Hawthorne, California on Sunday. López Alvarado said agents shoved her during the arrest, causing her to lose her balance as she tried to protect her stomach. After her release, she experienced sharp stomach pains and was hospitalized for one day for monitoring. López Alvarado and her cousin Alberto Sandoval, also a U.S. citizen, were doing maintenance work when agents in Border Patrol uniforms arrived in marked CBP vehicles following a white pickup truck carrying two undocumented workers, including her partner Brian Nájera.

U.S. citizen Angel Piña arrested by ICE in Southern California operation

Jun 8, 2025

Angel Piña, a U.S. citizen, was arrested by ICE and Border Patrol agents in June or July and filed a federal tort claim on August 20 alleging racial profiling and wrongful arrest. Charges against him have been dismissed. He is one of six claimants represented by the Carrillo Law Firm alleging racial profiling by ICE and Border Patrol in Southern California.

ICE agents mistakenly detain U.S. marshal in Arizona

Jun 7, 2025Tucson, AZ

A U.S. deputy marshal was briefly detained by ICE agents in the lobby of a federal building in Tucson, Arizona because he matched the general description of a person ICE was seeking. The deputy marshal's identity was quickly confirmed by other law enforcement officers, and he was released without incident.

ICE arrests nearly 20 in Norristown amid enforcement campaign

Jun 4, 2025Norristown, PA

ICE agents arrested nearly 20 immigrants in Norriton, Montgomery County over two weeks. The arrests targeted homes, businesses, and day laborers, with agents using facial recognition software and entering homes without warrants. Community advocates and local officials commented on the enforcement actions, and immigrant rights groups organized a Saturday rally to support affected families.

ICE raid in Norristown PA targeting U.S. citizens without warrant

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Jun 3, 2025Norristown, PA

ICE agents conducted a raid in Norristown, Pennsylvania, targeting a family who claim to be U.S. citizens. According to the family's statement, agents rammed into a family member's car, threatened them with a loaded gun, and attempted to take someone without a warrant, despite the person living in the residence and no warrant being presented.

ICE agents detain 2 Pilsen residents without warrants

Jun 2, 2025Chicago, ILMexico

Two Mexican nationals in their thirties were detained by ICE agents in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on Monday morning, one at a business and another at their home. Witnesses reported that no warrants were presented during the detentions. Local leaders called for a full investigation. Community organizations are providing legal and emotional support to residents.

Judge dismisses Baraka charges, reprimands prosecutors

May 21, 2025Newark, NJ

A federal judge dismissed trespassing charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka related to a standoff at a migrant detention center. The judge stated that the 13-day process from arrest to dismissal was problematic and instructed prosecutors that their duty is to justice and not solely to securing convictions. Baraka had visited Delaney Hall, a facility housing immigrant detainees, as part of an oversight visit with members of Congress. Rep. LaMonica McIver was indicted for allegedly impeding the arrest and assaulting federal officers; she has pleaded not guilty.

SCCC honors student deported to Colombia after ICE arrest

May 21, 2025Mastic, NYColombia

Sara Lopez Garcia, a 20-year-old student at Suffolk County Community College with a 3.9 GPA, was arrested by ICE agents on May 21 during a raid on her family home in Mastic. She claimed she had special immigrant juvenile legal status and a valid work permit. She was detained for over two months and subsequently deported to Colombia in August.

Chelsea family sues ICE for detaining father on Mother's Day

May 11, 2025Chelsea, MAGuatemala

ICE agents surrounded a family's vehicle on Mother's Day, smashed the passenger window, and detained Daniel Flores-Martinez in front of his wife and three children as they drove to church. The agents used unmarked vehicles, some wore vests labeled "police" while others were unmarked, and did not provide a warrant or explain why Flores-Martinez was being arrested. The family filed a complaint seeking $1 million in damages, alleging violations of Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights and that the agents deliberately chose to arrest Flores-Martinez while he was with his family. ICE agents conducted a vehicle stop in Chelsea on Friday morning to detain Jose Ramírez-Perez, who was in the country illegally and facing felony charges. During the stop, agents forcefully detained multiple family members including Hilda Ramírez, a legal permanent resident and mother of a 13-year-old U.S. citizen with autism. Video footage shows agents pressing and dragging Ramírez to the ground, breaking car windows, and temporarily detaining her son, resulting in hospitalization for both mother and child.