Human Impact Project

Gisèle, who fled fighting between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, was deported by US authorities to Cameroon under a third-country removal agreement. Suffering from a thyroid condition, she was never able to obtain her medication at the Yaoundé migrant shelter despite repeated requests, and after five months there she abandoned plans to seek asylum in Cameroon and agreed to be sent back to the DR Congo out of concern her health would worsen.

A 34-year-old Venezuelan man known only as JCCV, who lives in The Dalles, Oregon with his family and had a pending immigration application, testified he was detained by ICE agents who mistakenly believed he was his brother and never checked his identification. He was transported to a detention facility in Portland and held for multiple days, during which agents pressured him to sign a voluntary self-deportation document written in English, a language he cannot read, without explaining what it meant. His testimony was part of a federal court hearing examining whether ICE has continued making warrantless arrests in Oregon despite a February injunction requiring warrants and flight-risk assessments before arrests.

A 34-year-old Mexican national who had lived in Flagstaff with his family for at least two years was detained by ICE agents outside his apartment on East Cortland Boulevard as he was preparing to take his two children to school, according to family spokesperson Maria Castillo Rincon. He was transported to Phoenix shortly after. ICE then called his wife, a 32-year-old Mexican national, and told her that if she did not turn herself in at Phoenix, agents would raid her home; she and her two children, ages 14 and 7, drove to Phoenix and self-deported that same day. The family had sought asylum after fleeing violence in Mexico, but a judge denied their application and issued a deportation notice; Castillo Rincon said ICE had originally intended to detain a different family member, and local police and county officials said they were unaware of the operation, which included agents staging at Fort Tuthill County Park, until learning of it through social media.

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.

On the morning of September 9th, two family members—an aunt's husband and her son-in-law—were detained by ICE agents outside their home as they left for work. The men had lived in the U.S. for nearly 13 years and have three children between them, one of whom was born in the U.S. They were taken to the Buffalo detention center, where they were pressured into signing voluntary departure forms, and were later transferred to a facility in Louisiana. One of the men has heart problems requiring five medications nightly, and one reported experiencing abuse in custody; family members say they are unsure if he is receiving needed medical care. ICE confiscated the men's passports, leaving the family without a way to relocate, and the wives have had only brief phone calls with the detained men since their arrest.

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.

ICE agents detained Arturo Vasquez, a 48-year-old father with no criminal record, while he was a paying customer getting his family car washed in Culver City, California in June 2025; his teenage son was recorded on video pleading with agents as his father was driven away. In a separate incident in spring 2025, Cuban national Eduardo Nuñez Gonzalez was detained by ICE outside his North Miami home while carrying a bag of household trash to the curb; his family said he had no history of criminal charges. Rather than remain in a New Mexico detention facility for months contesting his case, Nuñez Gonzalez ultimately chose deportation to Spain. Both cases were cited amid a surge in ICE arrests, with Los Angeles-area arrests reaching a rolling average of roughly 100 a day, including a single-day record of 228 arrests on July 11. Data showed Latino immigrants were being arrested at 115 times the rate of other groups.

Renan Hédouville, a lawyer, human-rights advocate and former head of Haiti's Office of Citizen Protection (ombudsman), was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, on August 25 while attempting to update his immigration status, after Haitian authorities issued warrants accusing him of embezzling nearly $130,000 in public funds. An investigation by Haiti's Anti-Corruption Unit alleges he billed for ten fictitious business trips and funneled payments to his daughter and chief of staff, Régine Hédouville, and his son-in-law, Tex Willer Célafoi Louis, among other irregularities; Hédouville had sued the anti-corruption unit and declined to cooperate with investigators. He requested voluntary deportation and was among 79 Haitians sent back on a flight that departed Alexandria, Louisiana, on September 3, one of three such flights since the Trump administration ended temporary protected status for more than 300,000 Haitians.

Hector "Alessandro" Negrete, who came to the U.S. from Mexico as an infant and lived in Los Angeles for decades, self-deported to Guadalajara in September 2025 after facing immigration enforcement fears under the second Trump administration. Nine months later, he received a letter at his old U.S. address demanding a $1,820,352 civil penalty for failing to comply with a 2009 deportation order he says he was unaware of. Negrete and his lawyers have twice provided evidence that he is living in Mexico, but officials have demanded additional documentation. He is one of more than 100,000 undocumented immigrants who have received DHS fines totaling more than $84 billion since the start of the second Trump administration through mid-July.

A Venezuelan family, including a father, a mother who was seven months pregnant, and their 7-year-old son, was arrested by ICE during an interview for DHS's self-deportation program, according to Fwd.us president Todd Schulte. Rather than assisting the family in leaving the country as promised, DHS incarcerated them, and the mother has reportedly not received proper medical care while detained at the Dilley family detention facility.

Sae Joon Park, 57, a Korean-born US Army veteran awarded a Purple Heart after being shot in the spine during the 1989 US invasion of Panama, self-deported to South Korea last year after ICE threatened to detain him at a routine immigration check-in over old criminal convictions. Park, who moved to the US at age 7 to join his mother, later settled in Hawaii, where he raised his two adult children, cared for his elderly mother and worked at the Aloha Kia auto dealership before his removal order led to deportation. He developed untreated PTSD after his military service, leading to a crack cocaine addiction, a 2007 drug possession conviction in Queens, N.Y., and a later bail-jumping conviction after he was apprehended in Hawaii and extradited to New York. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pardoned Park for the bail-jumping conviction last week, one of six pardons she granted after his legal team petitioned since January; his attorneys said the pardon does not guarantee his return, and Park remains in Busan, South Korea, separated from his family.

Victor Martinez Nieto and his 5-year-old son, Liam Tadeo, were detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop in North Austin on August 16, 2026, while driving to a children's soccer game. Video showed Liam crying and clutching his handcuffed father's hands; a family spokesperson said Liam had been due to start kindergarten that week. The two were held together at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said officials denied requests to release Liam to his mother in Austin rather than risk him being placed alone in Office of Refugee Resettlement custody. DHS said Martinez Nieto had entered near Laredo in 2022, was arrested in November 2025, and had reentered after a prior deportation. Lawmakers Joaquin Castro, Greg Casar, and James Talarico called for the pair's release and for Dilley's closure, with Castro denied a facility visit. Martinez Nieto agreed to depart voluntarily with his son, and the two were deported to Mexico, reuniting with relatives with help from the Mexican Consulate, while Liam's mother sought ways to reunite with him.

Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla, 39, and her 19-year-old daughter Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, Ecuadorian nationals who fled Ecuador three years earlier due to death threats, were taken into ICE custody at HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital near Kissimmee after a highway rollover crash. Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies, operating under a 287(g) agreement with ICE, ran a database check during the crash investigation and said it revealed the women had overstayed their visas, prompting ICE detainers. Grace, still sedated and in a cervical collar, was handcuffed at her bedside, while Giulianna, who has epilepsy, suffered a seizure and was handcuffed in her hospital gown and led out in front of other patients and staff. Family members said agents did not identify themselves or produce a warrant, and the family's attorney said both women had pending asylum claims with valid work permits and visas, though the Sheriff's Office disputed this, said neither had a criminal or gang history, and stated no state charges were filed. Video of the arrest circulated widely, prompting a press conference from local immigrant advocates, while Sheriff Grady Judd said he approved of how deputies handled the arrests. Fearing for her daughter's health in detention, Grace signed voluntary departure paperwork and the pair returned to Ecuador.

Liam Tadeo, a 5-year-old just days from starting kindergarten, was detained by ICE agents alongside his father, Victor Martinez Nieto, after federal agents stopped their vehicle in Austin, Texas, while the family was headed to a soccer game. Both were booked into the CoreCivic-operated South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where DHS said they would remain together pending Martinez Nieto's removal. Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said Martinez Nieto begged ICE to release Liam to his mother, as was done for the boy's 3-year-old cousin and uncle detained in the same stop, but ICE refused. Liam's mother said she could not say goodbye to her son, that his bedroom remains untouched, and that the family wants them reunited. His aunt described him in a GoFundMe post as 'a beautiful, intelligent, and big-hearted little boy.' DHS said Martinez Nieto, a Mexican national, had previously accepted voluntary departure in February before reentering the U.S. without authorization. Fuerza Migrante called on Mexican authorities to intervene, while U.S. Rep. Greg Casar called for Liam's immediate release and closure of the Dilley facility, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said ICE denied his request to visit the family. Members of Congress have said children at Dilley have been denied medical care, and an immigration attorney said Liam will likely remain there for weeks with an uncertain future.

Rigo Mendoza's wife was detained by ICE agents, and the following day his 15-year-old son Kevin, who had been diagnosed with cancer in November, died. Mendoza recalled his son's final words expressing worry for his father's safety rather than his own illness. Following his wife's detention and his son's death, Mendoza decided to self-deport to Mexico with his family.

A Guatemalan young man has been held for more than a week in ICE custody at a facility in Miramar, Florida, that is authorized to hold detainees for up to 72 hours, according to his mother. She reports he faces overcrowding and limited access to food and water. He signed voluntary departure paperwork on a Tuesday but remains detained. An activist following the situation says his case is not isolated and that other immigrants have also been held at the facility for several days.

Magdalena Jimenez Juan and her husband Antonio Pedro Andres came to the United States from Guatemala over 25 years ago seeking medical treatment for their son Rafael, who has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a genetic neurological disorder causing progressive muscle weakness. The couple has four American citizen children, including their 18-year-old son Yoni who also has the same rare disorder and requires wheelchair assistance. Despite ICE permitting them to live and work in the country for decades and their documented medical hardship and clean criminal record, ICE denied their stay of removal on June 23 without explanation. Antonio is detained at Krome Detention Center in Miami awaiting deportation to Guatemala, and Magdalena has until August 27 to self-deport or face detention. If deported, Yoni and Rafael will be placed in state custody while their 22-year-old brother Ervi becomes the sole guardian of their 15-year-old sister Erica.

A Filipino national from Cebu, identified in recent reporting as Raul Raagas, was arrested by ICE during a traffic stop in Jersey City following a July 24 family court hearing, and has since been transferred from the Elizabeth, New Jersey facility to a detention center in Mississippi. According to the Philippine Consulate General in New York, he entered the United States decades ago on an athlete visa through the Gintong Alay sports program, and the Consulate reported he is in good spirits and good condition. Raagas, 30, is the father of two U.S. citizen children, and Hudson County officials are investigating possible cooperation between county employees and ICE in connection with his detention. His bond hearing, originally set for Aug. 20, was postponed twice before finally taking place on Sept. 30.

A Ravenswood parent was detained by immigration in July in front of their family's home and transferred to an out-of-state detention facility. The family, facing constant stress and fear of ICE involvement, decided to self-deport together rather than pursue an uncertain legal path and risk lengthy detention. An attorney is representing the family through the self-deportation process to ensure they are treated fairly and arrive together in their destination country.

Ana Castro, a long-time Wyoming resident and immigrant advocate who arrived as a child, is leaving the state amid fears for her safety as red state leaders increasingly cooperate with ICE and pursue hard-line immigration policies. Castro, who worked for a nonprofit and founded the Wyoming chapter of Juntos, an immigrant advocacy group, had spent decades contributing to her rural community despite lacking legal status. Immigrants comprise nearly 30% of rural Wyoming's recent population growth and fill critical gaps in service and construction jobs, but mounting deportation concerns are causing an exodus that threatens rural economies. State leaders acknowledge immigrants' economic importance while supporting stricter enforcement policies.