Human Impact Project

A legal permanent resident is currently detained by U.S. immigration authorities at the El Valle Detention Center in Willacy County, Texas. She filed a habeas petition along with a Verified Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction, arguing that Respondents have no legal basis to detain her and seeking her immediate release. The court ordered Respondents to file a response to the motion by August 21, 2026. A hearing on the Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction was set for August 24, 2026, to be conducted by videoconference. The document does not provide details on the circumstances of her apprehension, her family ties, or employment.

The petitioner entered the United States in 2012 as an unaccompanied minor and was detained by immigration authorities at that time before being released on his own recognizance. His immigration case was administratively closed in 2014, and he has no final order of removal. On August 12, 2026, while driving to work, he was detained again by immigration authorities and has since been held at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas. He alleges he has not received a pre-deprivation individualized assessment of flight risk or dangerousness. He filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus arguing his detention violates due process, seeking release or, alternatively, a bond hearing, and also sought a temporary restraining order to prevent his transfer out of the district or removal from the country. The court denied the TRO motion but ordered that he not be removed or transferred outside the El Paso Division pending further proceedings, and ordered Respondents to show cause by September 2, 2026, why the habeas petition should not be granted.

A Cuban detainee is currently held at the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Pine Prairie, Louisiana. He filed a habeas petition along with an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, seeking to enjoin the government from removing him from the United States, prohibit his transfer to a facility outside the court's jurisdiction, obtain an expedited briefing schedule, and secure his immediate release or a bond hearing. The court found it lacked jurisdiction to block his removal under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(g), which bars claims connected to the execution of removal orders. The court also denied the request to block a facility transfer, finding no evidence a transfer was likely and noting that jurisdiction attaches upon filing and is not destroyed by transfer. The court declined to expedite briefing beyond its standard procedures. Finally, the court denied the request for immediate release, characterizing it as an improper attempt to resolve the merits of the habeas petition through injunctive relief rather than through the normal litigation process.

Alex Pereira-Alves, a Brazilian immigrant who has lived in West Hollywood for nearly a decade working as a security guard and personal trainer, was detained by ICE after reporting to a downtown Los Angeles facility for what he believed was a routine check-in; officials told him he was 'deportable' and handcuffed him. He entered the U.S. legally in 2010, overstayed his visa, and in 2018 received a final removal order along with a grant of withholding of removal protecting him from being sent to Brazil. DHS first indicated he would be deported to Guyana, then Equatorial Guinea, countries he has no connection to, before a federal judge temporarily blocked the Equatorial Guinea deportation. His attorney, Jane Oaks, says he can no longer be sent to Brazil, deported to Equatorial Guinea, allowed to designate another country, or released, and she is filing an emergency habeas corpus petition arguing he was denied due process. His friend Jeff Markwardt, who is covering legal costs and caring for Pereira-Alves' dog Bella, said Pereira-Alves is 'terrified' and no longer feels safe in detention, and friends say the phone calls and legal filings supporting him are costing thousands of dollars.

The petitioner was paroled into the United States on June 26, 2019, and issued a Notice to Appear; he later filed for asylum and withholding of removal, and an immigration judge dismissed his Notice to Appear. On August 11, 2026, ICE apprehended him in Burbank, California, following his arrest for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, and he was served a new Notice to Appear the same day. He has since been detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. His family lost contact with him on August 19, 2026, and his attorney later learned he had suffered a possible stroke, was hospitalized for one night, and then returned to detention, where he says he needs prompt surgical evaluation; he also alleges the facility has withheld timely health information from his counsel. He filed a habeas petition and sought a temporary restraining order seeking immediate release, telephone access to counsel and family, a medical evaluation, or a bond hearing. The court found he was denied constitutionally required pre-detention process and granted the TRO, ordering his immediate release under his prior conditions of supervision and referring the underlying habeas petition to a magistrate judge.

U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris ordered the release of Adrián Espinoza De La Cruz and his 9-year-old child within 24 hours, ruling that their warrantless arrest and detention at the Havre Border Patrol Station violated their constitutional rights. Morris noted neither the father nor child had any prior criminal history or law enforcement encounters. The judge also cited concerns over the facility's lack of proper bedding and basic amenities, and the child's ongoing gastrointestinal medical needs. The U.S. Attorney's Office had acknowledged the arrest occurred without a warrant but said one was issued afterward.

An Indian national is detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. He first filed a habeas petition and TRO motion on December 17, 2025, after which a district judge ordered an individualized bond hearing and barred his transfer out of the district; an immigration judge subsequently denied bond on the merits. After briefing on the merits, the parties voluntarily dismissed that case without prejudice on August 5, 2026. Six days later, with new counsel, he filed a second habeas petition seeking the same relief—immediate release or a bond hearing—along with another emergency TRO application, citing ongoing detention, an unevaluated cardiac abnormality (documented via ECGs showing sinus tachycardia and T wave abnormality), and the lapse of the prior no-transfer order. The magistrate judge denied the TRO application without prejudice, finding no showing of imminent irreparable harm beyond what standard expedited habeas briefing could address, noting his own dismissal created the transfer risk, and pointing to General Order 26-05's two-day transfer notice requirement. The court ordered the government to answer the petition by August 18, 2026, with the matter to be submitted for final disposition shortly after.

Petitioner, a national of Honduras, is currently detained at ICE's Washington Field Office in Chantilly, Virginia under 8 U.S.C. § 1231 pursuant to a final order of removal. An Immigration Judge previously granted her application for Withholding of Removal, which legally prohibits her removal to Honduras. Despite this protection, she remains in ICE custody and fears she may be removed to a third country instead. She filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 arguing that her continued detention violates her due process rights under Zadvydas v. Davis. She also filed a Motion for Temporary Restraining Order seeking to block her removal to a third country while her habeas petition is pending. The court granted the TRO, enjoining respondents from removing or transferring her from the district, and ordered respondents to show cause by August 17, 2026 why the habeas petition should not be granted, with any reply due by August 21, 2026.

The petitioner is a 23-year-old native and citizen of Russia who entered the U.S. with his parents and siblings in October 2022 and has remained continuously in the country since, complying with all reporting and immigration court requirements with no criminal history. He and his family applied for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture. He suffers from moderate atopic bronchial asthma requiring inhaled medication and severe, recurrent leg cramps aggravated by confinement. After an immigration judge ruled against him and his family on August 3, 2026 (an appeal now pending before the BIA), he was instructed to report to ICE for a scheduled check-in, where officers took him into custody without prior notice or an opportunity to contest the detention, and denied his requests to contact family or obtain his medication. He was transported to and remains held at Adelanto Detention Facility without a bond hearing. He filed a habeas petition and TRO application seeking immediate release, and the government did not oppose the petition. The court granted the petition, ordering his immediate release and barring re-detention absent notice and a hearing showing materially changed circumstances.

A Guatemalan teenager who fled to the US in 2022 at age 16 to escape domestic violence has lived in the country for about four years. He was initially processed as an unaccompanied minor, held by DHS/ORR, and released to his aunt, a vetted sponsor, after being deemed neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community. He currently lives in Daly City with his mother, works at a Korean restaurant, and has no criminal history. On August 10, 2026, four ICE officers arrested him outside his home, handcuffed him despite his complaints of pain, and drove him to a parking structure where he was pressured to sign a document. He filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and a TRO motion challenging the lawfulness of his detention and seeking release plus protection from re-detention without notice and a hearing. The court found he was likely to succeed on his procedural due process claims and granted the TRO, ordering his immediate release, barring removal or transfer out of the district, and setting a show cause hearing for August 24, 2026.

The petitioner, who had lived in the United States for years while complying with ICE check-ins and other alternative-to-detention requirements, was taken into ICE custody on August 8, 2026 when he voluntarily appeared for a scheduled ICE check-in. He had maintained a known residence and employment and remained continuously available to immigration authorities for nearly three years prior to his detention. Immigration officials claimed he violated the conditions of his prior release on an order of recognizance after being arrested for public intoxication on July 28, 2026, though no criminal charges were ever filed and he was not notified of any alleged violation until his check-in. He was previously released under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and is currently held at a detention facility while pursuing a federal habeas corpus petition and motion for a temporary restraining order challenging his re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing. The court found the government failed to identify any exigency justifying detention without prior process and ruled his re-detention violated due process. The court granted the habeas petition and TRO, ordering his immediate release under the same conditions as before his detention, with no additional restrictions such as electronic monitoring unless later deemed necessary at a hearing.

Marco Uriel Rodriguez Hernandez, an immigration detainee, had won a finding that the government was unlawfully denying him a bond hearing. He was then transferred out of the privately run Aurora detention center to an unknown location and later found to be held in Texas. After his attorney, Skylar M. Larson, filed a new habeas petition, Colorado's Chief Federal Judge Daniel D. Domenico issued a temporary restraining order barring ICE from removing him, and the order was emailed to federal prosecutors. Despite this, ICE deported Rodriguez Hernandez to Mexico the following morning without allowing him to contact his attorney. Government attorneys said officials in Texas who carried out the removal were unaware of the court's order and said they 'greatly regret the error.' Domenico ordered the government to take all available steps to facilitate his return to the United States.

A Venezuelan woman who entered the United States without authorization in September 2023 was ordered removed by an immigration judge in March 2026; her appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals remains pending. She was detained by ICE on August 6, 2026 following a routine traffic stop and has since been held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana. She filed a pro se habeas petition alleging that her prolonged detention without a bond hearing violates due process, that her warrantless arrest violated the Fourth Amendment, that a serious medical condition has been aggravated by her detention, and that her detention imposes a hardship on her minor children. She sought immediate release or, alternatively, an emergency individualized bond hearing, along with a temporary restraining order barring her removal or transfer while the petition is pending. The court denied the emergency motion, finding that the request for a bond hearing sought the ultimate relief of the habeas petition itself and that claims of imminent removal or transfer were speculative.

A 29-year-old Mexican national who had lived in the U.S. since December 2024 on a nonimmigrant visa was arrested by immigration authorities on August 6, 2026, after overstaying his visa's authorized period, which had expired in June 2025. He had been residing with his fiancée, a U.S. citizen and homeowner, and was pursuing English classes and pilot training, with no criminal convictions. Following his arrest, he was placed in removal proceedings and detained at the Adelanto Detention Facility, where he remained held without ever receiving a bond hearing. He filed a habeas petition arguing his detention without an individualized custody determination violated due process, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act, seeking immediate release or a constitutionally adequate bond hearing with a heightened evidentiary burden on the government. The court found he was subject to standard detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and was not entitled to release or a heightened bond standard, but ordered that he be released unless given a new bond hearing within seven days.

Ibrahim Mohammed, a 43-year-old Ethiopian national who legally entered the U.S. in 2014 and was granted asylum, was ordered deported following a child sexual abuse conviction, but ICE sought to send him to third countries rather than Ethiopia due to torture risk. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles ordered Mohammed released from Angola's Camp 57 detention facility in February after finding ICE had no viable deportation plan, and ICE rearrested him twice more without properly serving deportation papers, most recently in Maryland in July. On August 20, deGravelles held an ICE field office director in contempt for repeatedly violating his orders, ordering officials to pay Mohammed's attorneys' fees and $180 in compensatory damages.

Salvador Alvarenga Valle was arrested by ICE on July 17, 2026 while voluntarily appearing for a routine supervisory check-in, despite having lived in Tennessee's Middle District for 21 years and having no criminal record. He is married with two children and is the primary caretaker for one of his daughters, who has a life-threatening medical condition. A 2005 removal order against him had been vacated in 2024, and he has an active immigration case seeking relief under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act. After his arrest, ICE transferred him to a detention facility in Mason, Tennessee, denied him bond, and attempted to move him to Louisiana before an immigration judge in Memphis ultimately granted him bond of $1,500 on July 21, 2026.

A citizen of India entered the United States without inspection near Yuma, Arizona in December 2022 and was briefly detained before being released on parole and enrolled in an Alternatives to Detention program. He was issued a Notice to Appear in February 2023 charging him as removable, and he timely filed an asylum application while obtaining employment, developing community ties, and maintaining a clean criminal record. On August 5, 2026, he was taken into ICE custody after reporting to ICE offices, following multiple alleged violations of his Alternatives to Detention conditions dating back to 2023. He is currently detained at the Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus and a motion for a temporary restraining order, arguing his detention without a prior hearing violated his due process rights and seeking immediate release or a bond hearing. The government argued he was subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A). The court found that § 1226(a) governs his detention instead, granted the habeas petition in part, denied the TRO as moot, and ordered an individualized bond hearing within 14 days where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he is a flight risk or danger to the community.

A citizen of India who entered the U.S. in December 2022 and was released on parole under Alternatives to Detention has lived in the country for nearly four years, maintaining stable employment and strong ties to his Sikh community. He filed an asylum application in April 2023, which remains pending, and obtained work authorization valid through October 2028, complying with all ATD monitoring requirements and having no criminal history. On August 5, 2026, he was swept up when Deportation Officers assisting the FBI executed a search warrant at an apartment in Antelope, California—an address that was not his own residence, as his driver's license lists a Sacramento address. Although an I-213 noted he was 'identified as being part of an active shooting investigation,' the record contains no evidence connecting him to the shooting, and officers instead ran a biometrics check, determined he lacked lawful status, and arrested him on an administrative warrant. He was issued a Notice to Appear and detained at the Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California, without a prior hearing. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus and a motion for a temporary restraining order, arguing his detention without notice or a hearing violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights. The court agreed, granted the habeas petition, ordered his immediate release, and enjoined the government from re-detaining him absent seven days' notice and a bond hearing demonstrating by clear and convincing evidence that he poses a flight risk or danger to the community.

A Guatemalan man who has lived in the United States since 2018 and works as a waiter in Baltimore, Maryland, was detained by ICE officials in Maryland on August 5, 2026. He was subsequently transferred to the Caroline Detention Center in Virginia, where he remained held for about three weeks. DHS classified him as an 'applicant for admission' under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(a), subjecting him to mandatory detention without bond under § 1225(b)(2). He filed a habeas corpus petition arguing this classification violated the Immigration and Nationality Act, his due process rights, and the Administrative Procedure Act, and sought release and a bond hearing. The federal court found that because he was already present in the U.S. rather than arriving at the border, his detention was governed by the discretionary detention provisions of § 1226(a). The court granted his petition, ordering his prompt release and a bond hearing before an Immigration Judge within 14 days, and enjoined the government from re-detaining him absent specified circumstances.

The petitioner, a citizen of India who entered the United States in July 2025 at around age 20, had a pending asylum application filed with USCIS in October 2025 and had been granted employment authorization valid through December 2027. In March 2026, his guardian petitioned a California state court for guardianship, which was granted in May 2026 after the court found that reunification with his parents was not viable due to abandonment and that returning him to India was not in his best interest. Based on those findings, he submitted a special immigrant juvenile status petition to USCIS. On August 5, 2026, ICE detained him at a residence where federal law enforcement was executing a search warrant during an active shooting investigation, though he was not accused of any crime. He filed a habeas corpus petition and a motion for a temporary restraining order challenging his detention as a due process violation, arguing he had a protected liberty interest given his sanctioned presence in the country. The court agreed, finding his circumstances similar to a prior case where a detainee's employment authorization constituted government sanctioning of his continued presence, and ordered a bond hearing. The court required the government to prove by clear and convincing evidence that he is a flight risk or danger to the community, and denied the TRO motion as moot given the bond hearing order.