Human Impact Project

A 40-year-old citizen of Peru has lived in the U.S. since December 2022, residing in Oakland, California. He is married with three children ages 4, 16, and 17, whom he supports financially by sending money to Peru, and he has work authorization and is employed in construction. He is in removal proceedings and filed an asylum application in November 2023, complying with all required ICE check-ins and immigration court hearings; his only criminal history is a single 2025 wet reckless conviction with a suspended sentence. On August 19, 2026, uniformed DHS agents arrested him immediately upon arrival for his regularly scheduled check-in at the San Francisco ICE office, without identifying themselves, explaining the reason for arrest, or serving a warrant beforehand. Petitioner filed a habeas petition and TRO application arguing he is a class member under the Garro Pinchi injunction and that his re-detention violated that order and due process because DHS made no individualized finding of changed circumstances regarding flight risk or danger. The court found serious questions on the merits and ordered his immediate release, enjoined future detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing, and required return of his confiscated property.

Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas, 27, an Ecuadorian woman who entered the U.S. on a J-1 au pair visa, was detained by ICE at Denver International Airport on July 20 while preparing to board a flight back to Oakland, where she had been working as a nanny. After a federal judge ordered her release following six weeks in detention, ICE required her to wear an ankle monitor; her attorneys have filed an amended habeas corpus petition arguing the agency lacked authority to impose that condition after an immigration judge ordered her release without added restrictions. Her case prompted a GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $137,000, and her attorney separately represents three other immigrants arrested by ICE at the Denver airport.

Ibrahim Mohammed, a 44-year-old Ethiopian national who came to the U.S. in 2014, was granted protection from deportation in 2024 under the Convention Against Torture after an immigration judge found he would likely face torture or persecution if returned to Ethiopia. Despite federal court orders in February and March requiring his release, roughly 10 ICE agents arrested him a third time on July 28, 2025, at his Baltimore-area apartment after falsely telling him and his attorney his ankle monitor was malfunctioning. Agents shoved his head into a car and gave him documents referencing Eswatini, a country ICE had previously tried unsuccessfully to deport him to. A judge again ordered his immediate release the same day, and U.S. District Judge John deGravelles later held then-ICE deputy field office director Vernon Liggins, who ordered the arrest on his last day in that role, in civil contempt, ordering ICE to pay Mohammed's attorney's fees and $180 for lost time. Mohammed, who spent 13 months in and out of ICE custody, testified the repeated detentions caused him nightmares and led his landlord to force him to move out.

Viktor Vdovin, a Russian asylum seeker who fled with his wife Tatiana and their two children in 2022, was detained by ICE during a routine check-in at the Charlotte ICE office and sent to the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia, with his immigration case now separated from his family's. The family's joint asylum hearing is scheduled for November 2027, while Viktor has an earlier master calendar hearing in his now-separate proceedings. ICE has said Viktor's initial humanitarian parole had already expired by the time of his check-in and that a pending asylum application does not itself confer lawful immigration status or preclude detention, despite a USCIS letter the family received in May stating they could remain in the country while their case was decided. Viktor's attorneys have filed a habeas corpus petition seeking his release on bond, which the government has moved to dismiss, and he remains in detention awaiting a judge's ruling while describing overcrowded conditions and falling ill.

The petitioner is a native and citizen of Honduras who entered the United States without inspection in June 2022. He is currently detained at the Caroline Detention Facility. He filed a federal habeas petition arguing that his detention is governed by the discretionary detention provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) rather than the mandatory detention provisions of § 1225(b)(2), and that being held without a bond hearing violates his due process rights. The government argued he remained an 'applicant for admission' subject to mandatory detention under § 1225(b)(2) because he had not been lawfully admitted. The court found that because he was already present in the country rather than seeking admission at the border, § 1226(a)'s discretionary framework applied. The court granted the petition, ordering that he receive a bond hearing before an immigration judge within seven days and enjoining the government from denying bond or rearresting him except under specified circumstances.

The petitioner is currently held at the T. Don Hutto Detention Center and filed a federal habeas corpus petition challenging his ongoing detention without an individualized determination of whether that detention is necessary. His case implicates a broader legal dispute over whether certain applicants for admission may only be mandatorily detained for 90 days under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A) without a bond hearing. The court found that, on the face of the petition, he may be entitled to relief and ordered the government to show cause in writing by August 25, 2026, as to why the writ should not be granted. The petitioner may file a reply by August 28, 2026, and either party may request a hearing. The court also ordered that he not be removed from the United States or transferred outside the Austin Division pending further order, preserving its ability to hear the case.

A noncitizen held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility filed a habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 challenging his arrest and continued detention by ICE, arguing he should be released and given a bond hearing before an immigration judge under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). The Government conceded that he is a noncitizen unlawfully present in the United States who had been detained under § 1226(a), and agreed the court should order a bond hearing under recent First Circuit precedent. The Government's only opposition was that he had not exhausted administrative remedies by requesting bond directly from an immigration judge, an argument the court rejected as futile since the Board of Immigration Appeals has held that immigration judges lack authority to grant bond to noncitizens present without admission. The court granted the habeas petition, ordering the Government to release him immediately, though it may transfer him to ICE's Boston Field Office solely to process his release and return property. The court denied the Government's request to place him under monitoring equipment pending a bond hearing. The Government was ordered to provide him a bond hearing within ten days, at which the immigration judge must consider alternatives to detention before ruling on flight risk or dangerousness, and to file a status report on the outcome within five days of that hearing.

A detained immigrant filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, challenging his immigration detention. He is currently held at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas. The document does not specify the date or circumstances of his apprehension. The court ordered Respondents to file a response within 7 days addressing the date Petitioner entered the United States, whether he was previously apprehended and released by immigration authorities, and the status of his immigration and/or removal proceedings. The court also permitted electronic notice of filing to constitute proper service on the government respondents. Petitioner was granted 7 days to file a reply after the response is filed.

A man detained at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas filed a habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241. The court ordered the respondents, including named official Miguel Vergara, to respond within 7 days, addressing the date he entered the United States, whether he was previously apprehended and released by immigration authorities, and the status of his immigration or removal proceedings. The document does not specify his nationality, family ties, employment, or the circumstances of his apprehension. He is seeking relief through this habeas petition, though the specific relief requested is not detailed in this order. The court has permitted electronic notice of filing to constitute service on the Federal Respondents. He will have the opportunity to file a reply within 7 days after the response is filed.

A man is currently held in ICE custody at the McCook Detention Center in McCook, Nebraska. He filed a habeas corpus petition seeking immediate release from custody. The court issued an order to show cause requiring respondents, including DHS and ICE officials, to justify the legality of his detention. Respondents must submit a return by August 24, 2026, with affidavits, a legal memorandum, information on whether an arrest warrant was used, and any supporting documents. The petitioner may file a reply by August 27, 2026. The court also enjoined respondents from removing the petitioner from the United States or from Nebraska, and ordered his return to Nebraska if he has already been removed.

Frander has been held in immigration detention for 250 days while his wife Maria awaits his return home to their daughters. In July, Frander won his case, giving the Department of Homeland Security 30 days to appeal the ruling. That deadline passed without any update on his status, though his family later reported possible progress toward his release.

A Mexican national who had lived in the United States for years after entering without inspection was detained by ICE and held at a detention facility. He filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his detention, arguing he was entitled to a bond hearing before an Immigration Judge rather than being held under mandatory detention rules. The government argued he was properly held under mandatory detention provisions as an applicant for admission. A federal district court disagreed, finding that because he had already entered and was living in the country, his detention was governed by discretionary detention provisions rather than mandatory ones. The court granted his petition, ordering that he receive a bond hearing before an Immigration Judge within seven days and barring immigration authorities from denying him bond or rearresting him except under limited circumstances.

A citizen of Algeria entered the United States in March 2023 on a B2 nonimmigrant visitor visa authorized until September 5, 2023, but did not leave as required. She timely filed for asylum in January 2024, derivative of her mother's pending I-589 application, and has no documented criminal history. On August 17, 2026, she reported to a scheduled interview and was arrested for overstaying her visa, served with an administrative warrant, and issued a Notice to Appear charging her as removable. She was transferred to and remains detained at the California City Detention Facility in California City, California. She filed a habeas corpus petition and sought a temporary restraining order, arguing she was entitled to a bond hearing where the government would bear the burden of proving she is a flight risk or danger. The court found her detention is governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and granted her habeas petition, ordering that she receive a bond hearing before an immigration judge within 14 days, denying the TRO request as moot, and enjoining her re-detention absent proper notice and a further bond hearing.

Keiber Alexander Esposito Martinez, a Venezuelan asylum seeker who entered the U.S. legally in 2023, was detained by ICE while driving to or from his job in Buffalo. Over three years he rose from dishwasher to sous chef at Casa Azul restaurant in the Allentown neighborhood, holding legal work authorization and a New York driver's license with no criminal record. Restaurant owner Zina Lapi called him a 'model citizen' and said his detention caused other asylum-seeking employees to quit out of fear. Martinez, who is married to a U.S. citizen, is being held at the federal detention facility in Batavia. His attorney, Matthew Borowski, filed a federal lawsuit seeking his release, saying the family received no explanation for the detention and alleging visibly Latino or Bangladeshi individuals are being targeted.

A native and citizen of Georgia entered the United States without inspection in February 2023 and was briefly apprehended by CBP before being released into the country, where he resided for over three years. On August 15, 2026, he was arrested near his home in Philadelphia by ICE and transferred to the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia. The government argued he was subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A) as an 'applicant for admission' still 'seeking admission.' He filed a habeas corpus petition on August 18, 2026, arguing his detention without a bond hearing was unlawful. The court held that § 1225(b)(2)(A) applies only to newly arriving noncitizens, not those who have resided in the country for years and were arrested in the interior, and that his detention should instead be governed by § 1226(a). The court granted his petition and ordered his immediate release.

A Ukrainian national and humanitarian parolee entered the United States about two years ago under the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian parole program, presenting himself for inspection at JFK International Airport and being paroled in. His parole was granted through May 19, 2026, and he applied to renew it before expiration, with that application still pending. He resided in the U.S. without committing any crimes during this time. On August 15, 2026, ICE arrested him near his home and transferred him to the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, where he remains detained. He filed a habeas corpus petition on August 19, 2026, arguing that his mandatory detention without a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) was unlawful because that provision applies only to newly arriving noncitizens, not those who have resided in the country for years. The court agreed, holding his detention should instead be governed by § 1226(a), and granted his petition, ordering his immediate release.

A man was taken into ICE custody on August 14, 2026 and held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) in Tacoma, Washington. Proceeding pro se, he filed a habeas corpus petition on August 26, 2026, and the court ordered that he be given seven days' notice before any transfer out of the district. The next day, however, ICE transferred him to a facility in Richwood, Louisiana in violation of that order. After a relative alerted the court to the transfer, ICE made four failed attempts between August 31 and September 4, 2026 to fly him back to Tacoma before he was finally returned to NWIPC on September 8, 2026. He then filed an emergency motion alleging he was subjected to severe physical cruelty while away and that his mother suffered a cardiac emergency due to the stress of his disappearance, seeking proof of life, an independent medical evaluation, and release, as well as appointment of counsel. The court denied both motions, finding he failed to address the required legal factors for a TRO, that conditions-of-confinement claims cannot be raised in a habeas petition, and that he had not shown financial eligibility for appointed counsel.

A Zimbabwean asylum seeker who was ordered removed in 2005 but was granted a withholding of removal after an immigration judge found she would likely face persecution in Zimbabwe was arrested without a warrant by ICE during a scheduled check-in appointment in San Francisco on August 14, 2026. ICE informed her that she would be removed to Cameroon, a third country, rather than Zimbabwe. She suffers from diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and schizophrenia, all requiring daily medication she may not have access to in detention. She filed a habeas corpus petition and sought a temporary restraining order seeking release pending a hearing on whether her detention is lawful, and to object to being removed to a third country without a hearing. The court granted the TRO, ordering her immediate release from custody and barring her detention or removal without a pre-detention hearing before a neutral decisionmaker. The court also barred her transfer out of the district without prior approval and set a briefing schedule and hearing for September 10, 2026 on whether a preliminary injunction should issue.

A man detained by immigration authorities and held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus along with a motion for emergency injunctive relief. The court converted his motion into one for a preliminary injunction and, on August 24, 2026, ordered his immediate release under his prior bond conditions, directed return of his confiscated property, and required a compliance status report. The court also barred authorities from re-detaining him under 8 U.S.C. § 1226 without first providing a hearing before a neutral decisionmaker at which the government would bear the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that he posed a flight risk or danger requiring physical custody, and barred relocating him outside the Central District of California pending resolution of the case. The parties subsequently filed a joint proposal to grant the petition and enter judgment consistent with the preliminary injunction ruling, without further proceedings. The court granted the petition, entering judgment enjoining re-detention absent the required hearing and burden of proof.

The petitioner is an asylum seeker from Guatemala who entered the United States around July 27, 2023. He was previously apprehended and released on $2,000 bond under an Order of Release on Recognizance in August 2023, complying with required ICE check-ins. He has a pending asylum application, with his merits hearing scheduled for April 2029. In June 2026, he was arrested in Concord, California, and charged with DUI and driving without a valid license, his first and only criminal arrest, with the case still pending and unresolved. When he appeared for a scheduled ICE interview at the San Francisco Field Office on August 14, 2026, he was detained without notice, with ICE alleging he had violated his release conditions. He filed a habeas petition and TRO motion, arguing his detention violated substantive and procedural due process since he had not been convicted of any crime and posed no flight risk or danger. The court agreed, finding the government's justification insufficient, and ordered his release under a TRO that was converted into a preliminary injunction barring his re-detention or removal without notice and a pre-deprivation hearing before a neutral decisionmaker.