Human Impact Project

Fernando Vazquez, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and a commercial landscaper, was detained by masked Border Patrol agents at a construction site in Cary during a large-scale immigration enforcement sweep that detained over 250 people in the Charlotte area. Agents pinned him against a gate and questioned him about his birthplace despite his showing a North Carolina Real ID, then handcuffed him and separated him from his brother. He says agents drove him around for about two miles before releasing him in an isolated wooded area, throwing his wallet, IDs, and AirPods on the ground rather than returning them. Vazquez recorded video of the encounter that was viewed millions of times online, and said the experience left him 'feeling powerless, frightened, humiliated, and deeply shaken.' In July 2026, he filed a federal damages claim with ACLU of North Carolina representation alleging wrist injuries and emotional trauma, part of more than 500 cases ProPublica documented of U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents during the Trump administration.

A Colombian national who entered the U.S. without inspection in 2023 and was paroled after indicating credible fear of persecution was detained by ICE on July 1, 2026, while delivering packages for Amazon with a valid work permit. DHS and EOIR ordered his mandatory detention without bond eligibility under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A). On July 10, 2026, the U.S. District Court for Idaho granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release, finding that § 1226(a) applies because he was already present in the country and was not subject to the cited detention statutes.

Dhavalkumar Patel, owner of Wallace's Market in Friendship, Maine, was detained by ICE agents on June 28, 2026, at his store. Patel entered the U.S. from India in 2010 and was arrested by Border Patrol on November 1, 2010, for illegal entry. He failed to appear for his immigration hearing and was issued a removal order on August 8, 2011. Following his detention, he was held at Plymouth County Correctional Center in Massachusetts. His attorney filed a habeas corpus motion in U.S. District Court, and a federal judge issued an emergency stay against deportation and a temporary order preventing his transfer for 72 hours, citing due process rights.

On June 30, 2026, Homeland Security Investigations agents executed federal search warrants at Scholar Craft manufacturing plants in Birmingham and Irondale, Alabama, as part of an investigation into alleged identity fraud and unlawful employment practices. More than 30 people identified as being in the country without authorization were encountered and taken into custody pending immigration proceedings. The operation involved federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.

A 19-year-old Russian asylum seeker who had been paroled and living lawfully in California since April 2023 was arrested by ICE on June 27, 2026, at a worksite without notice or pre-deprivation hearing. He was transported to Adelanto ICE Processing Center. A federal judge granted his habeas corpus petition, finding that ICE violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights by detaining him without a pre-deprivation hearing, and ordered his immediate release.

A Wapato father was detained by ICE more than two weeks ago after his wife confronted immigration officers at a courthouse. He has lived in the U.S. for about two decades, has no criminal record, and has worked at the same Yakima Valley fruit company for 15 years. He is the sole provider for his wife and five children, who are all U.S. citizens, and is currently held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. The family had been working with a Seattle attorney to pursue legal status before his detention.

A Guatemalan national who entered the United States in 2007 was arrested by immigration authorities on June 26, 2026, while traveling to work. He was detained at the Philadelphia Federal Detention Center under mandatory detention provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1225 without a bond hearing. On June 30, 2026, the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted his habeas corpus petition, finding his detention unlawful because he was not 'seeking admission' under the statute, and ordered his immediate release.

Arturo, a Guatemalan man who fled extortion and violence, was detained by ICE while returning home from a work shift. He was scheduled for hernia surgery and has Type II diabetes, but is receiving no medical attention in out-of-state detention. His family—wife Maricel and three children—faces financial hardship due to loss of his income.

On May 28, 2026, ICE agents detained more than a dozen employees at Don Patron Mexican Restaurant locations in Weston and Bridgeport, West Virginia, including Erick Cumes and Jose Cruz Castro, with families reporting poor detention conditions. On June 25-26, a federal judge ruled that Cumes's case could remain in West Virginia court, but on July 7 an immigration judge denied his asylum claim and ordered him deported. A subsequent habeas corpus ruling granted him a bond hearing, but bond was denied due to his pending deportation order and flight risk. Cumes, held at Moshannon Valley Detention Center in Pennsylvania since his arrest, waived his right to appeal, and his wife said she plans to join him in Guatemala after deportation.

Miguel, 22, was taken into ICE custody while working in Houston. He came to the United States seeking better opportunities and supports himself and his mother. His partner Xiomarah is raising funds for legal representation to fight his detention.

Angely and Alexka Jerez Medina, 18-year-old twins and Venezuelan asylum seekers, were detained by ICE on June 24 in Buffalo, New York, while working with other Detroit students at an Amazon subcontractor warehouse. The twins are now held in separate detention facilities in Texas and New Mexico. Their teacher at Western International High School, Kristen Schoettle, described them as "great students" who are "very active in their church" and noted that "their family wants to be here, they love this country." Elected officials including U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield have called for their release. Four other Detroit students arrested with them were released; a fifth remains in federal custody.

Paigelynne Gonyea, a poll worker and social media creator in Syracuse, New York, was visited by federal agents on June 23, 2026, at her workplace during New York's primary elections. The agents confronted her over a January Instagram post about ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who shot and killed Renée Macklin Good in Minneapolis during anti-ICE demonstrations. Gonyea's post included a picture of Ross and stated "I think today is a great day for Jonathan to be indicted." The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed she posted Ross's address as "doxxing," while Gonyea said she posted the picture after Ross had already been identified by news media. The agents handed her a written notice warning of potential federal charges under laws regarding posting personal information about federal officers. Gonyea refused to sign the document and said she intends to continue defending her First Amendment right to make the post. The New York Attorney General's Office said it is reviewing the incident.

Janeth, a 50-year-old nursing assistant from Honduras with 23 years of experience, lost her job after the Trump administration revoked Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for her country, rendering her legally without status overnight. She had lived in the U.S. for over two decades under TPS and won seven prestigious national nursing awards. The policy is straining the healthcare system as approximately one in six hospital workers involved in patient care are immigrants, creating shortages that cannot be easily replaced.

A Guatemalan citizen who entered the United States 22 years ago on a temporary visa was arrested by ICE on June 22, 2026, while on his way to work in Baltimore. He is married with a child who has special needs and requires frequent medical care. He is the sole financial provider for his family. He was arrested without a warrant and has not been presented with one. He filed a habeas corpus petition and application for temporary restraining order challenging the lawfulness of his warrantless arrest under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and § 1357(a)(2). On August 7, 2026, the federal court granted his petition, finding that his warrantless arrest was unlawful because no statutory exception applied. The court ordered his immediate release and converted his temporary restraining order application into a preliminary injunction, also waiving bond requirements.

José Pineda, originally from El Salvador with Temporary Protected Status and over 30 years in the U.S., was detained by ICE agents while working his construction job despite having no criminal record and a valid work permit. He was held in Burlington's ICE office for two days and slept on the floor of a cell with at least 50 other people. ICE agents told him that only people born in the U.S. have rights and that his work permit did not matter. After two days of public pressure and advocacy by Centro Presente, Pineda was released, but his family remains fearful of going out in public.

An Amazon delivery driver was detained by ICE after making a delivery to a military base in the Los Angeles area, according to legal aid attorneys. The arrest occurred as immigration enforcement continued in the LA region following the June 2025 raids.

A Colombian national fleeing persecution by the Clan del Golfo entered the United States without inspection in May 2023 and was released on parole. He obtained employment authorization, maintained steady work, filed taxes, and complied with parole conditions for three years while his asylum application was pending. On June 12, 2026, ICE arrested him in Rialto, California without providing notice or basis for arrest. The court ordered his immediate release, finding his re-detention violated due process rights and that no legitimate government interest supported his detention given his established ties and compliance history.

On June 11, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted a targeted enforcement operation at a residential development site (Villas at Vista North) in Bemidji, Minnesota, detaining between 23-30 construction and roofing workers. Local police and sheriff's office confirmed they were not notified in advance and did not participate in the operation, though ICE had notified the sheriff's office of planned activities. Family members posted on social media seeking support and launched fundraising campaigns to cover legal fees. Community members, including members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, gathered to protest the enforcement action.

Willian, the father of two U.S.-citizen children and son of a naturalized U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE while at work on Monday. He has active work authorization issued by the U.S. government and was actively pursuing his immigration case through the legal system. A federal judge subsequently ordered that he cannot be transferred or removed while his case is reviewed.

During summer 2025 ICE raids in Southern California, federal agents arrested thousands of undocumented immigrants in neighborhoods, workplaces, and homes. Giovanni, a Salvadoran worker at a car wash in the San Fernando Valley, was detained for six months at Adelanto ICE Processing Center after refusing to sign deportation documents, while three coworkers were quickly deported to Mexico. His family was left without his income and faced potential displacement.