Human Impact Project

A Latino man identified in court filings as J.M.R. alleges ICE agents pulled him from his car, threw him to the ground and shocked him with a Taser before detaining him. A federal judge later ruled his detention unlawful and ordered his release. He is among the named plaintiffs in a proposed federal class-action lawsuit, Guzmán v. DHS, filed Sept. 9 in U.S. District Court in Maryland challenging alleged warrantless ICE arrests.

Two 17-year-old U.S. citizens, including Luis Ochoa, were stopped by ICE agents at a stoplight in Alamo, Texas, on September 11 after pausing to observe an immigration enforcement action on their way to a Marine Corps recruiting office. One was pulled from the car, handcuffed and allegedly struck repeatedly by an agent, suffering a broken wrist, while the other, who was driving, was pepper sprayed. Both were held in ICE custody for about eight hours without their families being given information, until a local politician intervened to secure their release; DHS described the teens as anti-ICE agitators who obstructed agents.

Renatho Kemsley Casseus, a Haitian national described by San Diego City College as a student, was arrested by ICE agents on September 8, 2026, after unmarked vehicles boxed in his car near campus at 16th and C Street. A passenger, also said to be a student, fled on foot onto campus grounds, with agents pursuing him before retreating once they realized they had entered college property. DHS disputed that Casseus was a student, stating he entered the U.S. without authorization through El Paso, Texas, in May 2023 and was released into the country under the Biden administration, with his case now before an immigration judge. San Diego Community College District Chancellor Greg Smith denounced the incident, and officials said the college, district, and campus police do not cooperate with ICE enforcement. The college offered counseling and legal support to affected students, who organized a rally, and elected officials condemned the arrest.

Levi, a Honduran man who arrived in the U.S. at age 15 and has lived there for 20 years, was followed and detained by ICE after leaving a Home Depot in his work truck, despite holding a valid driver's license. He was held at the Aurora Processing Center for four days before being transferred to facilities in Florence, Arizona, and Alexandria, Louisiana, and was ultimately deported to Honduras. Levi built a family-owned construction business and is described by his community as hardworking, reliable, and kind. His wife Amanda, who works full-time supporting foster-care-impacted teenagers, and their four daughters remain in the United States without his income and support.

Six employees of GLC Property Maintenance, a landscaping company in Highland Township, Michigan, were stopped by nine ICE vehicles while driving to work, an encounter partly captured on video by one worker. The company says all six are legally employed on H-2B visas, and agents released them after reviewing their paperwork. Owner Tyler Ralko, whose parents founded the business 25 years ago, said the employees are hardworking and pay taxes, described the stop as what he believes was a targeted raid, and has contacted an immigration attorney and U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin's office, which he says has been helpful. Ralko said he reached out to ICE for an explanation but has not heard back, and other local landscaping businesses have since contacted him, taking the incident as a reminder for H-2B workers to keep their paperwork on hand at all times.

Kevin Deofredo Perez Ordonez, a citizen of Honduras, entered the United States without inspection in 2013 and was placed into removal proceedings, which were administratively closed in 2017 and remain closed with no final removal order issued. He lived in the community for more than a decade without any criminal convictions in the U.S. or abroad. His father is a U.S. citizen, and he has begun pursuing consular processing for an immigrant visa on that basis. On July 30, 2026, Border Patrol agents arrested him near the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego after discovering four individuals hidden in the back seat of the truck he was driving, and he was held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center without a bond hearing. He filed a habeas petition arguing his continued detention violated the Fifth Amendment. On September 10, 2026, U.S. District Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks granted the petition, ordered a constitutionally adequate bond hearing by September 25, 2026, denied his temporary restraining order motion as moot, and enjoined his transfer before the hearing.

Marof Montanary, known as "Frenchy," a bodybuilder with aspirations of competing at Mr. Olympia, was detained by ICE agents during what he and his partner initially believed was a routine traffic stop while driving to a wedding in Omaha, Nebraska. Agents separated him from his partner and their three dogs, shackled him, and transferred him to a detention facility in Leavenworth, Kansas. Facing high legal costs, Montanary and his legal counsel decided he will pursue a structured voluntary self-deportation while his partner works to file a petition to bring him back to the U.S. legally in the future.

David Eduardo Mejía Martínez, a Salvadoran man who has lived in Los Angeles for years, was detained by ICE agents in an unmarked vehicle while driving to work in Sherman Oaks, with no arrest warrant. ICE accused him of being an MS-13 gang member, but a federal judge found no evidence to support the claim, noting he has no tattoos, no criminal record, steady employment, and has paid taxes since arriving in 2014. He is married with two U.S. citizen children, ages seven and four, and is the family's main financial provider. After more than 10 months in detention at the Adelanto facility, Judge Serena R. Murillo ordered his release on September 8, finding an earlier immigration judge had abused his discretion in labeling him dangerous, and ICE complied the next day while publicly objecting.

A man referred to as 'John' was detained by ICE after his car was stopped on his way home from work in California, and was forced to agree to self-deport to Mexico within a week of his arrest rather than remain in an ICE detention facility. He was held without legal representation or access to his medication, and his family did not know his whereabouts for three days. John came to California from Mexico 30 years ago, worked in construction, and supported his wife and three children, none of whom had legal status despite having no criminal record. A GoFundMe campaign was launched by a family friend to support John's health and new start in Mexico and to help his family, who remain in the U.S. struggling emotionally and financially.

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.

Molis Augustave, a Haitian immigrant pastor and DoorDash driver in York, Pennsylvania, was pulled over on September 4, 2026 for a burned-out headlight and expired registration, then handed to ICE under a local 287(g) agreement. He entered the U.S. legally in 2016 but lost Temporary Protected Status after the Trump administration ended TPS for Haitians in July 2026, despite having a pending green card application through his U.S. citizen wife, Omara Nunez, with whom he has two young children. He was transferred to a Louisiana ICE facility and moved toward a deportation flight to Haiti, but was pulled off the plane at the last minute after advocacy from his wife, church, and organizations including We Are CASA and the Haitian Bridge Alliance; 89 others on that flight were deported. Augustave says he was handled roughly during his initial detention, leaving him with ongoing neck and back pain, but has since become a source of support for other detainees, leading Bible study and counseling men who are frightened or losing hope. His wife filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court and an appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals, while local pastors and state Sen. Patty Kim held a news conference calling for his release.

A driver was arrested by ICE agents in North Brunswick, New Jersey after fleeing a traffic stop, running a red light, and crashing into another vehicle on Route 130. The second vehicle, reportedly carrying the wife of East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen, sustained heavy front-end damage, and both of its occupants were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. ICE agents pursued and detained the driver following a foot chase, according to police, who said local officers only responded after the crash occurred and were not involved in the federal operation.

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.'

Jeyson Molina's wife was detained by ICE agents in Newark while working as a package delivery driver. The sudden detention has left the family seeking financial support for legal fees to secure representation. The family is raising $8,000 for lawyers as they navigate the legal process.

Hugo Ávila Villegas, 40, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Hidalgo, Mexico, says he was held by federal agents in his vehicle on the morning of August 31 near Power and Thomas streets in Mesa, Arizona, despite showing them his U.S. passport. He said agents told him they had a removal order against him and showed him a photo of a suspect born in 1983, though Ávila Villegas was born in 1986 and said the man in the photo did not resemble him. He said agents deflated one of his vehicle's tires before leaving, and about a month later he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, reporting headaches, dizziness and insomnia. A civil rights attorney who reviewed the case said the order agents placed on his windshield may not have been valid and that the officers' conduct could warrant investigation.

Gilberto Jacobo Mata was taken into ICE custody on August 31, 2026 while on his way to work. He had lived in the United States for 14 years and was the sole income provider for his four children, ages 1 1/2 to 14. Family members describe him as a hardworking man who treated others with kindness and are raising funds to cover legal fees and support his children.

Victor Salgado Araujo, 44, was detained by ICE on July 7, 2026, after witnessing an ICE agent fatally shoot his brother, Houston homebuilder Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, while the two drove their construction crew to a job site. He was held for 54 days at the Montgomery ICE Processing Center, where he missed his brother's funeral. The three detained witnesses filed habeas petitions and sought U visas, and reported pressure from ICE to self-deport while in custody. Victor was released in late August 2026, the last of the three witnesses freed, and reunited with his family. His attorney said he is expected to testify before the Harris County grand jury investigating the shooting while pursuing a U visa and facing separate removal proceedings.

Gustavo Parraga Durán, a Venezuelan journalist who has been seeking asylum in the U.S. for nearly a decade, remains in ICE custody in Washington state after being detained during a traffic stop in Utah. His wife says he has no criminal charges or even traffic tickets, and the family has lost income and risks losing their home. Relatives and the Association of Venezuelan Journalists Abroad have launched a fundraising campaign to cover legal representation and a possible bond, while expressing fear that he could be deported to Venezuela given his past political activity with Voluntad Popular and his work as a journalist. Parraga Durán, a graduate of the Universidad Bicentenaria de Aragua, is married and the father of two young daughters.