Human Impact Project

Rep. LaMonica McIver faces an October 9 deadline to decide whether to seek a rehearing or Supreme Court review after a split Third Circuit panel declined in late August to dismiss criminal charges stemming from a May 2025 incident outside Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark. McIver, who gave birth to her second child last week, was indicted in June 2025 on three counts of forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers after prosecutors allege she used her forearms against two agents as they moved to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka during a protest. She faces up to 17 years in prison, has pleaded not guilty, and argues she is immune from prosecution under the Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause, calling the case retaliation by the Trump administration for her oversight efforts. She is currently the only sitting member of Congress facing a federal indictment.

Norma Bowe, a 69-year-old registered nurse, grandmother, and public health professor at Kean University who runs the Global Grace Health mobile clinic for undocumented and uninsured families outside Delaney Hall detention center, was grabbed from behind and thrown face-down onto the pavement by a masked ICE agent on Memorial Day. She had moved toward a wall of agents after seeing one drag a young woman across the ground, intending to de-escalate using skills from her decades as a psychiatric nurse. Bowe suffered a fractured kneecap, torn meniscus, concussion, whiplash, and bruising around her eye, requiring ER treatment, physical therapy, acupuncture, and ongoing neurological care, and still experiences headaches, sleep trouble, and limited mobility. She returned to volunteer at the clinic two days later and has continued since, despite receiving threats and harassment online after posting video of the incident. In July 2026, Bowe filed a federal tort claim through the ACLU of New Jersey seeking $500,000 in damages for assault, battery, and emotional distress, part of a broader effort of more than 50 similar claims filed across 17 states. Former students described her as someone who taught empathy and kindness and would never provoke harm.

Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker who entered the U.S. legally through CBP One in 2024 and held a valid work permit, was shot in the back by an ICE agent on September 20, 2026, during a traffic stop while delivering for DoorDash in North Austin. Federal prosecutors allege he struck an officer with his car's side mirror and fled, while he says an unmarked ICE vehicle rammed and spun his car before he was shot, unaware it belonged to ICE. He suffered a fractured clavicle and a bullet lodged near his spine causing partial paralysis, and his attorney said he faced risk of infection without surgery and received no pain medication in custody. A federal magistrate judge found prosecutors had not clearly shown he was a danger to the community but ruled him a flight risk and denied bond; his attorney said he would pursue a habeas corpus case. He faces DOJ charges of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer carrying up to 20 years in prison, which his defense disputes, and a separate deportation order prompted his attorneys to sue to block removal. The shooting, partly captured on bystander video, prompted protests of over 150 people and calls from Rep. Greg Casar, Mayor Kirk Watson, and Rep. Joaquin Castro for an independent investigation and release of body-camera footage.

A U.S. citizen was injured when an ICE agent punched him during a work van stop in Naples Manor, Florida, after community members arrived to document and protest the stop. Graphic images shared with the Naples Daily News and The News-Press show an ICE agent pointing a gun toward bystanders during the encounter. June Sanson, a legal observer with the Rapid Response Alliance for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment, said the agent involved had previously pointed his weapon at her during an unrelated encounter in Immokalee. The advocacy group has planned a protest in Naples on Oct. 2 in response to the incident. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On June 7, 2026, ICE agents conducted an operation at the Port of Astoria's Pier 1, detaining two men. As vehicles left the scene, Astoria resident Stefanie Collar, who had been observing the agents, approached one vehicle at a nearby red light, pressing her body against it because she believed an officer was preparing to pepper-spray her. An officer rolled down his window and sprayed her as the vehicle drove past, and two additional vehicles following also sprayed her. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said officers had been 'swarmed by a group of 20 rioters,' but video footage reviewed by KMUN and witness accounts showed only a few people on a nearby sidewalk, contradicting that account. An ICE officer separately called local police to report that agents used pepper spray after being swarmed.

ICE agents arrested Welington Leonel Almara-Diaz at Meriden Superior Court in Connecticut after Judicial Marshal Services received a Warrant of Removal/Deportation stemming from a final removal order issued in October 2023, following his apprehension by Border Patrol near Hidalgo, Texas, in September 2022. Witnesses said about ten agents, some masked, entered the courthouse around 1 p.m., and video showed marshals blocking advocates as a woman fell to the ground during the confrontation. Advocates, including Middlesex Immigrant Rights Alliance member Miguel Castro, gathered outside after learning ICE was near the courthouse, and at least one person was injured during the chaotic scene. ICE said marshals impeded the arrest and protesters blocked officers' exit, prompting agents to use their training to 'gain control of the situation.' Connecticut officials and the ACLU are investigating whether the arrest violated state law restricting civil immigration arrests on courthouse grounds without a judicial warrant and rules on mask use by officers.

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez on January 24, 2026, during a protest against Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement operation. Witnesses and bystander video showed Pretti, holding only a phone, stepped in after agents shoved a woman to the ground; footage showed agents shoving him, spraying him with a chemical agent, and beating him with a metal canister before shooting him ten times, contradicting initial federal claims of self-defense. Pretti was a legal firearm owner with a carry permit but did not brandish a weapon or attack agents. Officers did not provide immediate first aid, and a pediatrician who tried to help was initially prevented from doing so. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other officials rejected the federal government's characterization of the shooting, and the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division opened an investigation. His death, along with that of fellow protester Renee Good weeks earlier, was among at least 14 shooting incidents during the enforcement surge, which led to the removal of ICE commander Gregory Bovino, the resignation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and deployment of 'border czar' Tom Homan to Minnesota.

Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, mother of three, poet, and legal observer, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7, 2026, while monitoring Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement operation on Portland Avenue in south Minneapolis. Good had blocked the street with her Honda Pilot to warn neighbors of ICE's presence when Ross fired three shots as her car turned away from officers. Her wife, Becca, said they were simply warning neighbors. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump called her actions 'domestic terrorism,' but video evidence, a New York Times analysis, Human Rights Watch, and an independent autopsy found she posed no imminent threat. Fellow protester Alex Pretti was also killed during the same operation. Protesters who gathered at the ICE Field Office in St. Paul the following day were met with pepper balls, mace, and tear gas. The administration blocked a federal criminal investigation, Noem was later fired, and hundreds of federal agents were withdrawn from Minnesota. Good's family filed two federal lawsuits under Bivens and the Federal Tort Claims Act against the agent and top administration officials, and her case was presented at an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights hearing. DHS agents have shot at roughly two dozen people and killed six since the start of the administration.

Luis Ochoa, a 17-year-old U.S. citizen, and his friend JC were detained by ICE agents in Alamo, Texas, after stopping to film an immigration enforcement action near Santos Livas Elementary School. The teens said they were on their way to meet with a Marine Corps recruiter when agents pulled Ochoa from his vehicle, breaking his wrist, pepper-sprayed both boys, and struck JC in the face despite their stating they were U.S. citizens. Video of the encounter showed the strikes to JC's face before Ochoa was taken into custody; Ochoa said an agent told him 'don't resist' though he was not resisting, and another reportedly said, 'I don't give a damn... Your parents can't help you now.' Ochoa's mother, Teresa Ochoa, said she went about eight hours without information about her son, calling it one of the most frightening moments of her life, and said the ordeal made both teens reconsider plans to enlist. DHS disputed the account, describing the teens as 'anti-ICE agitators' who became combative and said two officers suffered minor injuries. The Alamo Police Department forwarded the teens' complaint to the DHS Office of Inspector General, and Teresa Ochoa was deported days after speaking publicly about the incident.

A coalition called Evict ICE from 250 Delaware is calling on Uniland Development, owned by the Montante family, and Delaware North, owned by the Jacobs family, to end their lease with ICE, which operates its Buffalo field office and a detainee 'hold room' used to detain immigrants, including children, inside the building. On September 26, eight activists were arrested after occupying the intersection outside the building to protest what they call the "Montante family's continued profiteering from deportation," now referring to the site as the "Montante Detention Center." The campaign, which launched on May Day 2026, seeks to end ICE's presence at the site when its lease expires in March 2027.

Misael Ramos, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America running for Austin city council, was arrested Saturday morning on a misdemeanor charge of "riot participation" tied to a protest against the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan asylum seeker with a valid work permit who was shot by an ICE officer. Ramos denies any wrongdoing and plans to contest the charge; his attorney said, "I didn't see any riots... I saw people out there chanting and protesting." His campaign manager said Ramos joined the protest to show solidarity after hearing that an ICE officer had shot someone in the back.

Federal and local officers served nearly a dozen search warrants across Jackson and Josephine counties, Oregon, as part of a two-year investigation into a drug-trafficking organization. Community monitoring group Rogue Valley Migra Watch reported at least 21 people were detained over two days, most of them agricultural workers at cannabis farms in Medford, Ruch, Central Point, Eagle Point, Rogue River, Jacksonville, and Cave Junction, including at least 8 workers detained at a Cave Junction farm on White School House Rd. Witnesses documented GEO Group detention vans, operator of the Northwest Detention Center, at the sites, and one detained person was treated by emergency responders while in handcuffs. The Cave Junction operation involved the FBI, Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team, Josephine County Sheriff, Oregon State Police, and ICE. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said it did not coordinate with ICE on immigration enforcement and that deputies were not told immigration detentions were planned, citing Oregon's sanctuary law barring local cooperation with federal immigration agencies; Medford police said their role was limited to supporting the criminal investigation. Advocates raised concerns the sanctuary law may have been violated, while ICE and the FBI have not publicly identified those detained or confirmed the total count.

June Sanson, a legal observer with the Rapid Response Alliance for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment who has lived in Collier County since 2009, said she was confronted by an ICE agent while monitoring enforcement activity at an Immokalee gas station. Sanson said the agent, whom she later identified as the same agent involved in wounding a U.S. citizen during the Sept. 23 Naples Manor raid, pointed his gun at her and demanded she move her vehicle. Sanson works with other legal observers to document ICE encounters for potential civil rights violations.

Nancy Burton, a Meriden resident and member of a rapid response team monitoring ICE activity in Connecticut, was pepper-sprayed by an ICE agent exiting the Meriden courthouse during a confrontation between activists and agents. She said she was stepping away after the officer demanded she move when he deployed the spray, and was treated by an emergency medical technician at the scene. Fellow rapid response team member Madeline Gallagher was pushed to the ground by a courthouse security staffer as activists crowded around the ICE officers, briefly losing consciousness before being taken by ambulance to a hospital. The incident occurred as ICE agents detained at least one man at the courthouse, raising questions about compliance with Connecticut's Trust Act, which limits immigration enforcement at courthouses, bans masked law enforcement, and will extend protections to additional "protected areas" like hospitals, schools and places of worship starting Oct. 1.

Leonardo 'Leo' Garcia Venegas, a 25-year-old U.S.-born citizen of Mexican descent working construction in Baldwin County, Alabama, was detained by immigration agents multiple times beginning in May 2025 despite presenting a valid Alabama REAL ID. In the first incident, armed agents raided a Foley construction site, tackled his undocumented brother, and held Garcia Venegas handcuffed for over an hour after he began filming and asserted his citizenship; his brother was later deported. Weeks later, agents detained him again at another job site, again dismissing his ID as fake despite him also providing his Social Security card. In a third encounter, officers followed him home, pulled him from his vehicle, tackled him, and shackled him. Never charged with a crime, Garcia Venegas testified before Congress saying 'I don't feel free,' and filed a federal lawsuit with the Institute for Justice against DHS officials, including Tom Homan and Kristi Noem, alleging Fourth Amendment violations, assault, battery, and false arrest. A federal judge in the Southern District of Alabama denied the government's motion to dismiss and temporarily halted warrantless construction-site raids, a ruling Garcia Venegas called 'a huge blow to lawless enforcement practices.'

A crowd gathered at the scene of the ICE shooting in Austin throughout the afternoon, and officers fired pepper ball-like projectiles at the crowd after some demonstrators threw rocks and water bottles at law enforcement while people were leaving the area. A 14-year-old boy was among those affected by the chemical agent, according to his father, who spoke to Austin police. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson called for an independent investigation into the earlier shooting, citing the chaos it caused in the city.

Demonstrators have repeatedly clashed with federal agents outside the ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois, over several consecutive weeks, protesting detention conditions and showing support for detainees. On September 19, 2025, protesters blocking the facility's driveway were pepper-sprayed, including directly in the face, and an ICE vehicle struck at least one protester who sustained minor injuries; a witnessing attorney described agents as pushing protesters in an 'aggressive and violent manner.' On September 26, agents used pepper balls, tear gas, and baton rounds against more than 100 protesters, taking 11 into custody, with five later facing federal charges. On October 4, agents again deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and other chemical munitions against protesters, journalists, and legal observers, with chemical agents also affecting nearby residents; congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss were arrested. Broadview's mayor sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security citing dangers to residents from chemical agents and blocked emergency access, while lawsuits were filed alleging excessive force and First Amendment violations.

ICE agents entered a laundromat in Lindenwold, New Jersey on September 15 without a warrant and detained customers inside, according to a social media post. During the encounter, agents maced a woman in the face while she recorded the interaction. The incident took place near an elementary school and a high school.

Zach Cosseboom, a 37-year-old UC Santa Barbara employee and U.S. citizen, was pepper-sprayed by a federal immigration agent while volunteering as an observer with immigrant advocacy group SB Resiste at the Santa Barbara County Jail. Cosseboom, a 12-year Santa Barbara resident, was watching ICE agents in the jail's lobby when an agent sprayed him at close range in an incident captured on video, also hitting his wife, Ana Garcia. He was treated at Cottage Health's emergency room afterward and described feeling 'a little helpless' during the incident.

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.