Human Impact Project

Juan Bonilla Lagos, a 32-year-old Colombian national, was arrested by ICE agents in Plainview in October 2024 while sitting in his car with his wife and 5-year-old son during what his family says was a trip to a doctor's appointment. During the arrest, agents threatened to break the car window as his child clung to him and pleaded with agents not to take him away. Bonilla Lagos, who entered the U.S. in 2022 fleeing gang violence in Colombia, was detained at an ICE facility in Batavia, New York, where he attempted suicide three times during his nine-month custody. He has no criminal record and has filed an asylum petition. On July 7, 2026, he was released and reunited with his wife and two children at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. The prolonged separation caused severe mental health trauma to his family, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

Ulises Peña López, a 30-year-old Mexican carpenter and father living in Sunnyvale, California, with pre-existing conditions including a mini-stroke, blood clot, heart condition, and spinal and knee injuries, was surrounded by armed ICE agents outside his home in late February 2025. Agents smashed his truck window, pulled him out at gunpoint, and beat him unconscious in an alleyway while his wife Aby and young daughter watched, according to a federal lawsuit filed by his family with Disability Law United and Pangea Legal Services. He was hospitalized in Mountain View and allegedly shackled to his bed, with nurses passing him written notes to avoid ICE surveillance; his wife said he lost feeling in half his face and parts of his right side. During months in detention at Golden State Annex, California City Detention Facility, and other GEO Group and CoreCivic-run facilities, staff allegedly denied him a cane, hearing aids, medication, and other disability accommodations, and mocked him when he filed grievances. He was deported to Mexico in October 2025, where he says he is living in hiding, while his wife has been diagnosed with PTSD and their daughter has shown developmental regression. The family's lawsuit against DHS, ICE, GEO Group, and CoreCivic alleges civil rights, due process, and disability rights violations.

Leodegario was detained by ICE while traveling to work and is currently in immigration detention facing deportation to Mexico, a country where he has not lived for 30 years. He is a father of five children and husband who has worked to provide for his family and is known in his community for his generosity and willingness to help others. His family is fundraising for legal representation and living expenses as they fight to keep him in the United States and prevent family separation.

Anselmo Esquivel was detained by ICE on a Monday morning and is being held in Tacoma, Washington. His family describes him as a hardworking and generous man. The detention has been devastating for his entire family, who are seeking financial support during this difficult time.

Savannah Eric's father was detained during a routine ICE check-in and subsequently deported after more than 22 years living in the United States. He had no criminal convictions and consistently complied with all immigration requirements. The family has been separated for a year and is raising funds to travel and reunite with him.

Mario Bojorjes, a North Liberty construction worker and father of three with a pending permanent residency case, was detained by ICE on July 7 after an Iowa State Trooper stopped him on Interstate 80 for a window tint violation. During the traffic stop, the trooper conducted an immigration inquiry that led to Bojorjes' arrest. He has no criminal record and was his family's primary source of income. Bojorjes is currently being held on an ICE hold at the Linn County Jail.

Jose Enrique Ojeda Duarte, a 31-year-old Venezuelan asylum-seeker and father of two who entered the U.S. legally in 2024, was arrested by ICE agents in Chicago on September 15, 2025, while driving to work during Operation Midway Blitz. He was told he was being taken to a court date but instead spent about seven months in detention, including at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, where he described 'inhumane' conditions such as frozen or expired food and lack of medical care when he contracted COVID-19. In April 2026, despite his pending asylum case, he was deported to Venezuela; DHS later admitted in court filings that a data error in its removal system caused the wrongful deportation. After his attorneys and partner, Leydimar Castillo, pushed for his return, a federal judge intervened and he was brought back to the U.S. in June 2026, reuniting with Castillo and their two children on Chicago's South Side. He has since struggled with anxiety, insomnia and fear, saying, 'Sometimes, I get a terrible feeling, like a fear of going out.' His asylum case remains unresolved.

Hebert Kaleth Ibarra Castro, a 20-year-old mariachi musician, was arrested by ICE on June 25, 2026, at a traffic stop in China Grove, Texas, while returning from a musical performance in his mariachi outfit. Castro arrived in the U.S. at age 4 on a B-2 visa fleeing violence in Mexico; ICE claims he entered illegally, though his wife states the visa expired in 2020. He was detained at a South Texas ICE facility where he remained in his mariachi attire for nearly 18 hours before being allowed to change clothes. ICE agents allegedly mocked and discriminated against him because of his traditional mariachi clothing. While in custody on July 4, Castro performed 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' His wife, Marisol Pantosi, is a U.S. citizen and filed his green card application shortly before his detention. State and federal lawmakers, including State Rep. Barbara Garvin Hawkins and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, have publicly called for his release, and mariachi artists nationwide have rallied to demand his freedom.

The petitioner has lived in the United States continuously since 2000 and is married to a U.S. citizen wife, with four U.S. citizen children ages 14 to 24, three of whom are minors who rely on him for financial and emotional support. He owns and operates JMQ Construction Inc., a family business that supports his household. He was paroled from custody in February 2022 under ICE's Alternatives to Detention program and was later placed in withholding-only proceedings after a positive reasonable fear determination, with an appeal pending before the Board of Immigration Appeals since June 2025; he also has a pending U-visa application based on being the victim of a 2016 machete assault. On July 6, 2026, he was detained by immigration agents while appearing for a scheduled biometrics appointment at a USCIS Application Support Center in connection with renewing his work authorization, and was held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. He filed a counseled habeas petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 seeking a bond hearing or release, arguing his re-detention without notice or a hearing violated procedural and substantive due process and the APA. The court found his re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated procedural due process and ordered him released within 24 hours on the same conditions that existed before detention, with his belongings and documents returned and a status report filed confirming compliance.

A Venezuelan family of three — father Freddys Padilla Revilla, pregnant mother Edgarianny Gervis, and their 7-year-old daughter — remain held at the Dilley Detention Center more than a month after attempting to self-deport to Venezuela. The couple had lived legally in Pecos, Texas for three years, working and maintaining ICE check-ins, and sought to leave voluntarily after discovering Edgarianny was pregnant, but say they were arrested at a July 6 ICE check-in after signing forms waiving their rights. On August 13, the family sent Sen. Katie Britt a letter, including a drawing from their daughter, asking for help returning to Venezuela, saying they were inspired by Britt's reported sympathy for another detained child. The family says Edgarianny has not received proper medical care and their daughter has said she 'wants to die' while detained.

Javier Cortez Sanchez, a hardworking father and husband with a valid work permit, was detained by ICE in Joliet after being mistaken for another person. He is the primary financial provider for his family and has left behind a young son who asks daily when his father will return. His family is struggling with his absence and seeking legal support to bring him home, as Javier experiences depression and despair in detention.

Kubanych, a community interpreter, was detained by ICE in October 2025 while interpreting for another asylum seeker at California City Detention Center in Delano, California. After 8 months of detention, community advocacy efforts secured his release. He has since been reunited with his wife and four young children in Kyrgyzstan. During his detention, he experienced abuse and malnourishment, losing 40 pounds, and was denied care for serious health conditions.

A 74-year-old grandfather was detained by ICE on June 12 while traveling to work in the Magnolia Boulevard area of Riverside, California. His family described him as a dedicated provider and caregiver who has consistently worked to support his family and grandchildren over the years. The family launched fundraising efforts on GoFundMe and Instagram to raise bail and support costs needed to secure his release and help him reunite with his family.

Ignacio Carrizalez, a Mexican national with work authorization and an active citizenship application, was detained by ICE agents on April 28, 2026, after Evans City Police stopped his vehicle for an expired registration. ICE agents surrounded his car, and after he refused to answer questions about his citizenship status, he was taken to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County. His wife, Amanda Smail-Carrizalez, a U.S. citizen, reported agents removed him "violently" from the vehicle. While detained, Carrizalez missed a scheduled permanent residency hearing on June 1st, and an immigration judge subsequently ordered him to either self-deport or be deported. On June 26, 2026, he was unexpectedly released after more than two months in custody, just before he was scheduled to be transferred to a facility in Mexico, with his deportation date postponed to September 2026. His wife testified before Butler County Commissioners about the financial and psychological toll on their six-year-old daughter with autism, who experienced nightmares, and the family applied for public assistance following his arrest.

Arturo, a 48-year-old Mexican man with no criminal record who paid taxes yearly, was arrested by ICE on Sunday, June 30, 2026, while driving to a soccer game in Salt Lake City. His wife Veronica said the family never expected to be caught in the enforcement sweep, and their 13-year-old son was left traumatized by the arrest. Immigration attorney Ysabel Lonazco said the detention occurred amid a broader ICE enforcement surge in late June. DHS stated that Arturo had illegally reentered the United States and would be held for deportation. The arrest was part of a nationwide surge in which ICE detained more than 10,000 people over five days following orders to increase arrest rates.

Dhavalkumar 'Dale' Patel, owner of Wallace's Market in Friendship, Maine, was arrested by ICE agents at his store in late June 2026. A native of India, Patel entered the U.S. without authorization in November 2010 and was issued a removal order in August 2011 after failing to appear for an immigration hearing. He was transferred to Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts while his wife Hanna took over running the store and caring for their 2.5-year-old U.S.-born son. Attorney Audrey Richardson filed a habeas corpus petition on his behalf, and U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani issued an emergency stay blocking his deportation and transfer for at least 72 hours, requiring advance notice before any move out of Massachusetts. More than 200 community members signed a petition supporting his return, and a GoFundMe campaign raised over $7,800 for the family.

Ricardo, a father described by his family as a loving and hardworking provider, was detained by ICE agents on July 4th in Phelan, San Bernardino County, California. According to a family social media post, he was taken by masked agents on Saturday morning. His daughter Naydelin created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for immigration legal fees, bond if available, and household bills to support the family during his detention.

Johan Sandoval, a 22-year-old Dominican Republic native and baseball standout at Savannah State University, was detained by ICE agents on July 3, 2026, outside his girlfriend's apartment complex in Clifton Park, New York. Sandoval, who entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2022, was pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration on a full athletic scholarship and had recently been named MVP of the 2026 HBCU Baseball All-Star Game. According to his girlfriend Adriana Wade, ICE agents blocked his car as he was leaving for the gym and followed him to the apartment door; during the encounter, his phone was broken and his state ID was lost. DHS stated that Sandoval's F-1 student visa was terminated in April 2025 after he failed to adhere to visa requirements. He was held at ICE's Buffalo Service Processing Center pending removal proceedings. His family launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $12,000 for legal representation, and Savannah State's president Dr. Jermaine Whirl worked with the family and an immigration attorney to secure his release.

Oxana's father was detained by ICE and deported to Peru after living in the United States for 36 years. He has just arrived in Peru and is struggling to meet basic living expenses as he rebuilds his life in a country where he has no established support system. His family, now separated by thousands of miles, created a GoFundMe to help him cover food, hygiene items, clothing, transportation, and other daily necessities during this transition.

A lawful permanent resident with a valid green card was unexpectedly detained by ICE at an airport in Michigan while returning home from a family vacation. He has lived in the United States since childhood. He is now facing immigration proceedings that could separate him from his home and family. His supporters are fundraising for legal representation to help him fight his case.