Signs of Corruption and System Failures From The Stories of The Victims of Immigration EnforcemenT
Welcome to the ICE Files:
Sebastian (16 Year Old)- #0201
An asylum‑seeker from Ecuador living in Minnesota, was detained by immigration agents and secretly transferred to a Christian youth shelter in Michigan, where he was held for over a week while his family had no idea where he’d been taken. Agents labeled him an “unaccompanied minor” and assigned him a second alien number, making him effectively untraceable after being moved into the federal shelter system. His attorney eventually tracked him down by tracing his supervised phone calls, discovering he was at Bridgeway, a facility with a history of violations, and secured his release. The ordeal left his family shaken, especially after staff suggested he might have to stay until he turned 18 or could even be adopted out, prompting his father to ask, “What was it all for? He’s a minor… He doesn’t have a criminal record.” (1)
#Children #LawyerDenial
Bruno Guedes- #0202
A 38‑year‑old Brazilian father whose young daughter is undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma, was pulled over by men in black SUVs wearing green vests who identified themselves as immigration agents and took him into custody. His arrest sparked community outrage because he had work authorization, a Social Security number, and a driver’s license, and had been living in the area while seeking asylum. ICE later said he was wanted on charges related to attempting to purchase a firearm and falsifying information on federal forms, though supporters argue immigrants often struggle to navigate complex legal paperwork. Bruno is now detained in West Virginia, while his community has rallied around his family- raising tens of thousands of dollars and organizing support as his daughter continues cancer treatment.
​#Caregivers
"People are getting systematically de-documented, and it's not easy to understand that when you are here," said a local community leader (2).
Imran Ahmed- #0203
A British researcher and head of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, was recently targeted by the U.S. government with a visa ban and threatened deportation after officials accused him and four other Europeans of trying to “coerce” American tech companies into censoring speech, an allegation tied to their advocacy for stronger online safety rules. Ahmed, a lawful permanent U.S. resident with a citizen wife and child, filed a lawsuit arguing the government was using immigration enforcement to punish protected speech, calling the actions “unconstitutional” and part of a broader pattern in which foreign nationals critical of tech platforms have faced sudden visa revocations. A federal judge temporarily blocked his deportation while the case proceeded, even as senior officials publicly framed Ahmed and others as part of a “censorship‑industrial complex.” The visa bans also targeted figures like Thierry Breton, linked to Europe’s Digital Services Act, prompting critics to warn that the administration’s actions resemble political retaliation rather than legitimate national‑security concerns.
Nurul Amin Shah Alam- #0204
A 56‑year‑old nearly blind Myanmar refugee, was found dead on a Buffalo street days after U.S. Border Patrol agents released him from jail and dropped him off alone at a coffee shop miles from his home on a freezing night, despite his inability to see, speak English, or navigate independently. He had just been freed after a year in county jail stemming from a misunderstanding in which he was arrested while lost and carrying a curtain rod as a walking stick. His family says they were never told where he was taken, and local officials called his death preventable and “inhumane,” criticizing federal authorities for abandoning a vulnerable man without ensuring his safety. Homicide detectives are now investigating, while his family mourns a father who simply wanted to return home and reunite with them. Update: DHS claimed they dropped him off at a safe and warm coffee shop, even though they did not call family. Video surveillance shows this coffee shop was closed when dropping him off. They dropped off a blind man, who did not speak English or ability to reach out for help, in a remote location in freezing cold temperatures.
#Disabled/Sick #Released #Deaths #Senior #InadequateConditions
“Nobody told me or my family or attorney where my dad was dropped off,” said his son.
Elmina Aghayeva- #0205
A Columbia student was detained after five DHS agents entered her off‑campus residence by falsely claiming to be police searching for a missing child, a tactic the university later condemned as a breach of protocol. Aghayeva, whom ICE described as an “illegal alien” whose student visa had been terminated years earlier, was taken without a warrant, prompting immediate outrage from students, faculty, and New York officials. After public pressure and a meeting between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Trump, she was released later that day, telling supporters she was safe but needed time to process the ordeal. The arrest reignited concerns about federal agents using deceptive tactics on campuses, especially following prior detentions of foreign students involved in political speech, and led to renewed calls for stronger protections against immigration enforcement in sensitive locations.
​#LiesByICE
“No one should disappear at the hands of the government,” Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, said in her statement. “No student should be taken from their dorm through deception. (2).
Juana- #0206
A 36‑weeks‑pregnant asylum‑seeker, was deported from the Dilley detention center despite doctors warning she was medically unsafe to fly, after spending three months detained there with her two young children. According to Congressman Joaquin Castro, ICE repeatedly sought out a doctor and airline willing to clear her for travel, even after others refused due to her advanced pregnancy. Juana had feared giving birth in the detention center, where conditions were described as unsanitary and medically inadequate. Castro claims she and other pregnant detainees were hidden from him during his visit. After her sudden deportation, a reporter located her in Guatemala, where she appeared physically stressed.
​#Pregnant&Postpartum #InadequateConditions #Deported
“I am gravely concerned that ICE is failing to meet the most basic medical needs of expecting mothers like Juana while imprisoned,” Castro added. “Treating pregnant women and their unborn children with such cruelty is unconscionable.” (1)
(1) https://www.sacurrent.com/news/san-antonio-news/ice-deported-a-nearly-9-month-pregnant-woman-from-dilley-over-the-weekend/ (2) https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/ice-deports-pregnant-woman-who-was-held-for-three-months-with-her-two-children-joaquin-castro-claims/articleshow/128751800.cms
Marcela Jimenez Macias- #0207
A Mexican immigrant mother was detained by ICE in Douglasville after officers pulled over her husband and children, told him to call her to pick up the kids, and then arrested her instead. Her husband says both of them have work permits and moved from Mexico three years ago, and he believes a past driving‑without‑a‑license citation, which they already resolved in court, triggered the detention. The family is now terrified she may be deported and that he could be next. The Mexican Consulate is assisting the family as they wait for more information.
#Caregivers
“It’s hard. I don’t send my kids to school because I don’t want to lose my family,” he said. (1)
Denis Cabrera Rodríguez- #0208
A 33‑year‑old Cuban dissident and human‑rights activist, was detained by ICE in late November 2025 and is now in critical condition at the Krome North Detention Center after the agency allegedly refused to let him use the insulin pump he depends on for Type 1 diabetes. According to Amnesty International, his health is rapidly deteriorating and he risks coma, amputation, or death without proper care, prompting urgent calls for his immediate release. His family reports repeated medical negligence, noting he fainted shortly after arrest and required hospitalization, with Krome having a documented history of inadequate medical treatment and multiple deaths in custody. Denis, who fled Cuba in 2022 and has a pending asylum claim, cannot safely return due to past persecution, and rights groups are urging the public to pressure ICE officials to provide lifesaving medical care. (Is a human rights advocate the worst of the worst?)
#Disabled/Sick #InadequateConditions
“I urge you to make this case visible, as besides the fact that Denis is an opposition figure who cannot return to Cuba, he is being unjustly detained without reason and his life is in danger due to multiple instances of medical negligence,”- said Rodriguez's Relative (1)
Columbus Mother- #0209
ICE agents pepper‑sprayed an Ohio mother and her three children inside a moving vehicle during an attempted arrest, an incident that was captured on video and has since drawn widespread outrage. According to reporting, the family was driving when an ICE officer deployed pepper spray into the vehicle while the children were still inside. The mother called the police, who took reports of the incident but did not accelerate the issue because “it would be difficult to advance the case further” (1). Community advocates and immigration attorneys have condemned the use of force, calling it dangerous and unnecessary, while ICE has not publicly explained why the family was targeted. (We now live in a society where ICE agents can cause accidents, pepper spray mothers and kids, and 911 and police cannot issue justice.)
#ExcessiveForce #Children
Abdelouahid Aouchiche- #0210
A 61‑year‑old Algerian man living in Dearborn, was seized by ICE outside his mosque during morning prayers and has been held for months at the North Lake detention center, where his family says he has been mistreated and kept in the dark about his case. Despite having two appeals pending and his wife’s petition for permanent residency in progress, ICE moved to deport him to Algeria, a country he hasn’t seen in over 30 years. His wife, Lorenda Lewis, has struggled to care for their four children alone while navigating restrictive visitation rules and reports of cold temperatures, poor food, and lack of access to prayer materials inside the facility.His lawyers call the deportation illegal and done in bad faith.
#Senior #InadequateConditions #LawyerDenial #Deported
“Their policies need to change, the visitation needs to change… we are not criminals. The detainees there are not criminals, and we’re being treated and our families are being treated like criminals and that needs to stop,” says his wife (2).
Wilmer Guevara Brito- #0211
A Venezuelan father living in Kenner, was arrested by Border Patrol while delivering packages, despite having entered the U.S. legally through a humanitarian parole program and having a pending asylum claim. Agents allegedly mocked him, ignored his documents, filmed his arrest for social media, and sent him to a Mississippi detention center, separating him from his wife and their newborn. After the parole program was terminated, Brito was issued a final deportation order, leaving his family struggling financially and emotionally while he appeals the decision.
“We entered the country with humanitarian parole. Because of a change in the administration, they got rid of that, but that doesn’t suddenly make what I did illegal,” Brito (1)
“Now, my wife is alone having to take on all the responsibility of our household, and on top of that, we have a baby girl who’s only five months old, and that’s one of the most critical moments of a child’s life,” Brito, (1)
“If they decide to deport me, then let me go with dignity and not like a criminal,” he said, “and I’ll leave.” Brito (1)
Saw Ba Mya James- #0212
A 46 year-old ethnic Karen refugee fleeing persecution from Myanmar was suddenly ordered to undergo a “post‑admissions refugee reverification” interview despite already being legally admitted and applying for a green card. During the hours‑long interrogation, officers re‑questioned him about issues he had already been vetted on, saying his original screening may have been mishandled. Fearing detention like other refugees in Minnesota, James stopped attending church and now carries a letter from his pastor asking authorities to treat him humanely while he waits anxiously for the government’s next move
(1) https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/these-refugees-were-already-admitted-to-the-u-s-the-trump-administration-is-detaining-and-questioning-them-anyway (2) https://www.timesdaily.com/news/nation/administration-detaining-refugees-already-admitted-to-the-us/article_25de7936-be6e-465e-ad21-d2b1cdf05452.html
Madad Mohamud- #0213
A Somali TikTok personality was arrested by U.S. immigration agents in Minneapolis after a rival leaked his address, and ICE cited both his undocumented entry and an old, dropped kidnapping allegation as reasons for detaining him. Although the FBI cleared him of the kidnapping claim and he had an active asylum case based on threats from al‑Shabab, his asylum request was denied, and he spent six months in detention before being deported. He was ultimately flown back to Mogadishu in restraints, ending his years‑long journey through multiple countries in search of safety and stability. Back in Somalia for the first time in a decade, he has reunited with his children but fears for his safety amid ongoing militant threats, while many other Somalis in the U.S. face similar deportation fears.
Estefany Maria Rodriguez Flores- #0214
A Nashville reporter, was arrested by ICE without a warrant, according to an emergency court filing by her attorneys. She has lived in the U.S. for five years and has reported critically on ICE. She remains in an ICE detention center as a federal judge has ordered immigration officials to respond to her petition. Although she entered the U.S. on a tourist visa, she applied for asylum, married a U.S. citizen, obtained a work permit, and is seeking permanent residency. Her detainment is due to an alleged missed check-in: “Now ICE has claimed her failing to show up Wednesday; she is a flight risk… but in this case, there was an officer two days before that said that appointment does not exist” said her attorney (2).
Guan Heng- #0215
A Chinese national who fled China after secretly filming what he believed were “concentration camps” in Xinjiang, fearing he would be arrested for exposing abuses. Unable to publish the footage safely inside China, he left the country, eventually reaching the Bahamas, where, desperate to reach the U.S., he bought a small inflatable boat and sailed alone to Florida despite having no boating experience. After applying for asylum and working odd jobs, he was unexpectedly detained by U.S. immigration authorities during a raid targeting his roommate. Public concern halted plans to deport him to Uganda, and during his asylum hearing he insisted his actions were motivated by sympathy for persecuted Uyghurs, not a strategy to secure asylum. The judge cited evidence of retaliation against his family and affirmed his eligibility for protection."For five and half months I didn't sleep one good sleep, but today I feel assured” (2)
​#Released #InadequateConditions
(1) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8jkrzl85go (2) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chinese-national-exposed-rights-abuses-freed-us-detention-granted-asyl-rcna257597 (3) https://www.wskg.org/regional-news/2026-02-10/reporters-notebook-following-the-asylum-case-of-guan-heng (Read this to follow his case)
Roger Huang- #0216
An Owego resident who has lived in America over 30 years and owner of a well‑liked Chinese restaurant, was arrested by ICE after being called to what he believed was a meeting about his immigration status. ICE says he entered the U.S. in 1993 using fraudulent documents, missed his initial immigration hearing, and has had a final deportation order since 1994, with his last appeal denied in 1995. Friends describe him as a generous community member and want him released from detention in Buffalo. Immigration law experts note that despite ICE’s claim that he has “no legal remedies,” Huang may still have potential options but he has been detained over 5 months.
Marco Antonio Magaña‑Lopez- #0217
A construction worker from El Salvador, was taken into custody while picking up supplies at a Home Depot and later received a deportation order. ICE cites a decades‑old misdemeanor disorderly conduct conviction and a final removal order as justification. Mark says his father endured inhumane conditions in a Baltimore detention facility before being transferred to Mississippi. As his father awaits deportation, Mark is struggling emotionally and financially, hoping his dad could see him graduate but expecting only his mother will be there.
​ #InadequateConditions
Owen Ramsingh- #0218
A longtime U.S. green‑card holder who immigrated as a child, was detained by ICE after returning from a trip to the Netherlands because of a decades‑old teenage drug conviction. He spent more than 100 days in the Camp East Montana detention facility in El Paso, where he says he endured starvation‑level food portions, filthy and unsafe living conditions, and witnessed severe abuse by security staff, including the killing of a 55‑year‑old detainee that he says was falsely reported as a suicide. Ramsingh described guards betting on detainees’ suicides, widespread infections due to poor sanitation, and overcrowded, degrading conditions. He was ultimately deported to the Netherlands despite having lived in the U.S. for most of his life. When asked about the detainment Tricia McLaughlin said: “This criminal alien is in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. A green card is a privilege, not a right, and under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused” (2). This is not enforcement, it is re-framing a precedent to fit a new narrative the administration is working to create.
#GreenCardHolder #Deported #InadequateConditions #ExcessiveForce
“We're really concerned about Owen's mental health right now. You know he's struggling. He doesn't understand why he's still in there,” Owen’s friend (4)
“It’s disgusting, it’s embarrassing, and it’s un-American,” Owen’s friend (4)
“Every day felt like a week. Every week felt like a month. Every month felt like a year… Camp East Montana was 1,000 percent worse than a prison.” Owen (3)
(1) https://www.kcur.org/news/2026-02-15/deported-missouri-green-card-holder-owen-ramsingh-recounts-experience-at-el-paso-ice-facility (2) https://www.newsweek.com/man-who-held-green-card-for-40-years-speaks-out-after-ice-deports-him-11514906 (3) https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/attempted-suicides-fights-pain-911-calls-reveal-misery-at-ices-largest-detention-facility/ (4) https://www.kbia.org/missouri-news/2026-01-27/friends-family-of-detained-columbia-man-unsure-of-deportation-timeline
Roland Kusi- #0219
A Cameroonian asylum seeker who fled political violence, had been living freely while his asylum case moved through the immigration courts. In 2024 he married a U.S. citizen serving in the Army National Guard, and she filed an I‑130 petition so he could adjust his status. When the petition was approved at a USCIS interview in Chicago on September 26, 2025, ICE immediately arrested him. He was transferred to the Camp East Montana detention facility in El Paso, Texas.
“It’s not easy in here, psychologically,...You just keep thinking, like all the time, you’re thinking and thinking for a solution. … It’s really mentally draining” Kusi said (2).
#InadequateConditions #MentalHealth/Sick
(1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/03/06/suicide-ice-detention-centers/fa13f4d6-191a-11f1-aef0-0aac8e8e94db_story.html (2) https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/attempted-suicides-fights-pain-911-calls-reveal-misery-at-ices-largest-detention-facility/ (3) https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71885867/kusi-v-noem/
Leqaa Kordia- #0220
A 33‑year‑old Palestinian woman has been held in ICE detention for nearly a year after being arrested at a pro‑Palestine protest where charges were immediately dismissed. ICE detained her months later despite her pending asylum case and an approved family petition, and she has remained jailed in Texas even after two judges ruled she could be released on bond. Her health has sharply deteriorated she suffered a seizure in February, was chained throughout her hospital stay, and reports poor conditions, lack of halal food, and medical neglect. Members of Congress and local officials are now calling for her release, arguing she is being targeted for her political speech as part of a broader crackdown on pro‑Palestine activists.
​#SolitaryConfinement/Restraints #DefiedCourtOrder #InadequateConditions #Disabled/Sick
“The food is so bad it makes me sick. We live in filthy conditions. The best medicine for me and everyone else here is our freedom.” Kordia (2)
Kordia claims there are pregnant women, people with cancer, “They are all suffering…And none of us deserves to be here.” (2)
Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero‑Cruz- #0221
An 18‑year‑old high school senior in Los Angeles, was detained by masked ICE agents while walking his dog just days after his birthday. Witnesses described the arrest as resembling a kidnapping, with agents in an unmarked SUV letting his dog run loose and refusing to identify themselves. Guerrero‑Cruz, who overstayed a visa from Chile, is now being held in harsh conditions at the Adelanto ICE facility, where he has reported limited food, water, and basic hygiene. Teachers, neighbors, and advocates have rallied for his release, saying he is a hardworking student and beloved community member whose sudden detention has created fear among local families. ICE says he is being held pending removal from the U.S.
#InadequateConditions
“How can any of us turn a blind eye to cruel, unjust treatment happening right in front of us? Benjamin does matter; his rights matter,” Valerie, one of Guerrero-Cruz’s neighbors (1).
Oscar Olvidio Tot-Choc- #0222
A 20-year-old asylum seeker in Minnesota, was arrested by ICE at work on January 11, 2026. His attorney immediately notified ICE of his pending asylum case and filed a federal habeas petition the same day, but ICE rapidly transferred him out of Minnesota, first to El Paso, then later to New Mexico, before any attorney‑client meeting could occur. On January 16, a federal judge granted Oscar’s habeas petition and ordered his immediate release in Minnesota, but ICE did not comply. Despite repeated attempts by his attorney to locate him and enforce the order, ICE continued moving him between facilities, provided no clear updates, and later claimed he might be held an additional ten days due to alleged COVID exposure. More than twelve days after the court ordered his release, Oscar still had not been freed, and his attorney remained unable to obtain reliable information about his status or location.
​#LawyerDenial #DefiedDueProcess
“If the government undertakes an enforcement operation of this scale, one that results in the detention of large numbers of people, including individuals who are lawfully present in the United States, then the government assumes a corresponding obligation to ensure that each detention complies with the Constitution and with court orders governing release. Volume, that is, the volume of cases and matters, is not a justification for diluting constitutional rights and it never can be. It heightens the need for care.”-Judge Blackwell (2)
(1) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/us/politics/minnesota-immigration-crackdown.html (2) https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72129374/tot-choc-v-bondi/ (3) https://www.kare11.com/article/news/investigations/kare-11-investigates-rapid-removals-tracking-ice-flight-pipeline-msp/89-387d1151-d50c-450e-921d-fa2952818650 (4) https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/TAHR-v-DHS-2026_01_28-Boche-Decl-ISO-TRO-c.pdf
Aditya Wahyu Harsono- #0223
A 33‑year‑old Indonesian father of an infant with special needs, was arrested at his Minnesota hospital workplace after his student visa was secretly revoked without notice. Although his F‑1 visa was valid through June 2026 and he had a pending green‑card application through his U.S.‑citizen wife, ICE agents staged a fake meeting to detain him and interrogated him for hours. The government later backdated the visa revocation and cited a minor 2022 graffiti misdemeanor, which his attorney says is not a deportable offense, as justification. An immigration judge denied a motion to dismiss his case, and although he was granted bond, DHS immediately appealed to keep him detained, an unusually aggressive move. Harsono remains in custody, his family has lost income and health insurance.
#Caregivers
“The Court finds it is more reasonable to infer that Respondents have detained [Harsono] in retaliation for his speech than because of any professed public safety concern,” Judge Menendez (2).
“Had I known back in 2021 that my peaceful protest activities and social media posts would lead to my arrest in 2025, I would not have done this,...[T]he cost of being detained and separated from my wife and daughter is too high now.” Harsono (2).
Mario Guevara- #0224
A Salvadoran journalist was arrested by ICE despite holding a valid work permit and spending 112 days in detention, including 70 in solitary confinement, as retaliation for his immigration reporting. Guevara said ICE agents had monitored his work, targeted him after he reported on a deadly workplace raid, and treated him as an enemy for exposing misconduct. He recounts being moved through multiple jails, pressured to sign voluntary departure, and ultimately deported despite no criminal record. Now back in El Salvador and separated from his family, he continues reporting internationally and warns that immigrant journalists who cover immigration are increasingly vulnerable to visa revocations, arrest, and deportation.
​#SolitaryConfinement/Restraints #InadequateConditions
“I was in jail for 112 days, in five jails. Immigration kept moving me. The saddest part of all is that they had me 70 days in solitary confinement. They only let me out two hours a day. I had to sleep with the light on. It was quite hard. I think they did that to punish me mentally and to make me accept voluntary departure.” (1)
“For the first time in my life, I’m seeing what absolute power can do. Power that doesn’t care about optics. Power that doesn’t care about the damage to human lives to achieve a result I’ve only heard about as some abstract thing that we heard about in the past, usually talking about other governments in the way that they persecute individuals. This is powerful.” - Guevara’s attorney, Giovanni Díaz (2).
Sithy Yi- #0225
A Cambodian genocide survivor who came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1981, was unexpectedly detained by ICE during a routine check‑in despite having long‑standing protection under the Convention Against Torture and a pending U‑visa application for crime victims. Her attorney argues the detention is unlawful because the government has no legal way to deport her, she cannot be returned to Cambodia, where she was tortured as a child, and ICE has not identified any alternative country. Yi’s life has been shaped by severe trauma, including forced labor and abuse under the Khmer Rouge, PTSD, domestic violence, and a past conviction tied to that abuse. For a decade she complied with ICE requirements, but new Trump‑era policies have removed protections for victims with pending visas, leading to sudden detentions like hers. Her family and advocates say her arrest has retraumatized her and spread fear through Southeast Asian refugee communities, who see echoes of the regimes they fled. While detained, Yi tries to cope by teaching other women traditional Cambodian dance, singing the music herself.
​#InadequateConditions
​
“ Communities that are made up often of refugees who escaped an American war in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam . . . are faced with the familiar terror. Terror from which they thought they had escaped.” Manju Kulkarni, the executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance (1).
“ We're trying to challenge the administration's attempt to criminalize victims,” Erika Cervantes, Human rights attorney (1).
Lesly Rodriguez Gutierrez & Her Children (6 & 5)- #0226
A Hayward mother and her two young children including her 6‑year‑old deaf son who relies on medical hearing devices were detained and rapidly deported to Colombia after appearing for a scheduled asylum‑related check‑in in San Francisco. Her attorney says ICE repeatedly misled him about the family’s location, preventing him from filing an emergency motion to stop the removal. The child was unable to access his essential medical devices or care while detained and after deportation. Although Rodriguez Gutierrez had a prior removal order, her lawyer says she still had potential legal avenues for relief. ]
#Children #CheckInDetainment #Disabled/Sick #LawyerDenial #InadequateConditions
“I’m sick to my stomach that someone would abduct a 6-year-old child who has a disability and his family when his mother was reporting to a center and doing what she’s supposed to do,” Tony Thurmond, California Superintendent (1)
“This innocent child is being deprived of both education and basic, essential communication. This cruelty must end.” Tony Thurmond, California Superintendent (1)
Hai Nguyen- #0227
An OU alum who came to the U.S. as a Vietnamese refugee at age 8, was detained by ICE during a routine work‑visa appointment despite having lived in the country for more than 30 years. ICE cited a 2006 marijuana conviction, a nonviolent charge that was later expunged, and an old removal order tied to that case. Nguyen, now a father of two young children and a 15‑year Hobby Lobby employee, had been protected for years because Vietnam historically refused to accept deportees who arrived before 1995. Under new immigration policies and a recent U.S. Vietnam agreement allowing deportations of pre‑1995 arrivals, ICE now considers his removal “reasonably foreseeable.” His detention has devastated his family, who fear losing both income and health insurance, and they have filed a habeas petition seeking his release while ICE awaits travel documents from Vietnam, which may or may not be issued.
​#CheckInDetainment
Emmanuel Damas- #0229
A Haitian asylum seeker named Emmanuel Damas died after weeks of reporting severe tooth pain while detained at the Florence immigration facility in Arizona. According to local officials, he repeatedly asked for medical help but didn’t receive timely care, and his condition worsened until he collapsed and developed a severe infection. ICE later said he was hospitalized with suspected septic shock from pneumonia and spent days on a ventilator before dying on 2 March. DHS claims this is some of the best medical care “aliens” have received…
#Death #Disabled/Sick #InadequateCare
V.M.L. (2-Year Old)- #0229
A two‑year‑old girl who is a U.S. citizen was deported to Honduras after ICE detained her Honduran mother and sister during a routine check‑in. She was deported with her 4 year old and 7 year old siblings and pregnant mother. Her father was urgently trying to stop the removal and had arranged for a guardian to pick her up, but ICE allowed him only a brief, one‑minute call with the mother, preventing any real decision‑making about their child. Although ICE claimed the mother asked to take the child with her, a federal judge said there was no clear proof of that choice and criticized the government for removing a U.S. citizen “with no meaningful process.” By the time the judge tried to intervene, the family had already been released in Honduras.
#Children #Deported #Pregnant&Postpartum #DefiedDueProcess
Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino- #0230
A 25‑year‑old farmworker organizer in Washington state, was violently arrested by ICE after an officer in an unmarked car smashed his window during a traffic stop. Although ICE claims the arrest was based on an old deportation order, labor leaders say he was targeted for his prominent role in winning major protections for farmworkers, including heat‑safety rules, overtime pay, and oversight of the H‑2A program. After being taken to a secretive ICE holding site, he was transferred to the Tacoma detention center, where he remains. His supporters argue the deportation order was issued without his knowledge and has since been reopened, yet he has been denied bond under a controversial local legal interpretation. Juarez Zeferino and his supporters believe he was targeted for his successful labor organizing. Under harsh conditions and fearing forced removal, he ultimately agreed to self‑deport and returned to his family’s farm in Guerrero, Mexico. From there, he continues organizing remotely, pushing for oversight of detention centers and fighting exploitative farm‑labor programs, while working toward another legal path back to the U.S., where he lived since childhood.
#ExcessiveForce #InadequateConditions #Deported
Leo Feler & Workers- #0231
A Chicago homeowner, watched on his security cameras as masked federal immigration agents broke onto his property without a warrant, jumped his spiked fence, and violently chased three Latino construction workers who were repairing his home (this security footage is public). Two workers fled inside and were injured badly enough to require hospitalization, while a third was arrested in the garage. Feler says the agents caused about $25,000 in property damage and never showed a warrant, despite his demands over the intercom. He now believes his Fourth Amendment rights were violated, but like most U.S. citizens harmed during immigration raids, he has no clear legal path to sue federal agents, as cops will not pursue charges. #ExcessiveForce
#DefiedDueProcess
Iranian Adoptee- #0232
An international adoptee who grew up fully American but was never naturalized because her adoptive parents didn’t complete the required paperwork in the 1970s- something she didn’t discover until adulthood. Despite living a stable life in California with no criminal record, she was recently threatened with deportation under the new administration, even though DHS has known about her case for years. Because Congress never made the 2000 adoptee‑citizenship law retroactive, older adoptees like her remain legally vulnerable. Advocates warn that deporting her to Iran, a country she left at age 2 and where Christian converts face severe persecution, would put her life in danger, leaving her trapped in a bureaucratic limbo she has spent decades trying to fix. Given the new war or military attacks, this makes her especially vulnerable. #InadequateConditions #Veteran&Family
​
“I always told myself that there is no way that this country could possibly send someone to their death in a country they left as an orphan. How could the United States do that?” (1). “It just baffles me that it’s OK to send me to a foreign country that I could potentially die or I could get imprisoned because of a clerical error” (1).
Joshua, Caleb & Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar (12, 14 & 18)- #0233
Two young mariachi musicians from Texas, 14‑year‑old Caleb and 12‑year‑old Joshua, and their parents were released from ICE detention after nearly two weeks in custody, along with their older brother Antonio, who had been held separately. The family, who entered the U.S. legally in 2023 through the CBP One app while seeking asylum, said they had always complied with court requirements. Their detention drew national attention because the boys had recently been honored on Capitol Hill for their award‑winning mariachi performances. After their release, the family described harsh conditions in detention and expressed relief at being reunited while their asylum case continues.
#Children #InadequateConditions
(1) https://abc7news.com/post/teen-brothers-joshua-antonio-gmez-cullar-mcallen-texas-mariachi-band-released-ice-custody/18699413/ (2) https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/09/us/mcallen-texas-mariachi-brothers-ice-detention (3) https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/south-texas-mcallen-high-school-mariachi-students-cuellar-ice-detention-dilley-released/
Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino
A 43 year old Maryland mother of four who had lived legally in the U.S. since childhood with a green card and who came to the U.S. from Vietnam as an 11‑year‑old refugee, was deported after more than two decades of living in Maryland. Her removal stems from a 2001 conviction for stealing checks, which led to a deportation order in 2004, but Vietnam refused to take her back at the time. Tran continued living in the U.S., raising four children and checking in with ICE for over 20 years. In 2025, ICE detained her again, obtained travel documents from Vietnam, and deported her despite a judge previously ordering her release. She was flown to Hanoi on November 19, leaving behind her family and the nail salon she owned in Hagerstown. Tran has acknowledged her past mistake but said she believed she had rebuilt her life and deserved a second chance. #Caregivers #GreenCardHolder #CheckInDetainment #DefiedCourtOrder #SolitaryConfinement/Restraints
“The trip back home was extremely tiring… We were in shackles the entire trip. ... I felt like we were less than animals.” (3)
“Tran told WJZ in October: ‘I know what I did was wrong, and I take responsibility for that. For my kids to have to go through it is horrible for me to comprehend. Why? We always say if you change, you deserve a second chance.’
(1) https://www.newsweek.com/green-card-holder-deported-over-crimes-she-committed-as-teenager-11082231 (2) https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/maryland-melissa-tran-deported-vietnam-ice-immigration/ (3) https://www.thebanner.com/politics-power/national-politics/melissa-tran-donald-trump-deportation-vietnam-5V4UQ32XANEW5BLNFIE6YARSRU/
Jair Celis- #0235
A Utah 29‑year‑old was arrested by ICE just before attending what was supposed to be his final green card interview, has been released from detention after nearly two weeks and reunited with his family. He is a longtime Utah resident, soccer coach, husband to a U.S. citizen, and father, he has no criminal history and originally entered the country legally. ICE had publicly accused him of being a child sex abuser, but records reviewed by news showed those claims were false. His attorney is now working to get Celis’ deportation case dismissed and reschedule his green card interview, predicting he could become a U.S. citizen within three years. The family remains shaken by the arrest and public accusations, and they plan to pursue a libel case against DHS for its statements. #LiesByICE
Barbara Gomes Marques- #0236
Detained at her green card interview where she was handcuffed, and transferred across multiple states despite having no criminal record and a clear path to legal residency. She had unknowingly missed a past immigration hearing due to a change of address, which triggered an old removal order, something her attorney says would normally be resolved during the marriage‑based green card process. Instead, she was moved between detention centers, endured harsh conditions, and came within hours of being deported before her lawyer filed emergency motions that temporarily halted her removal. Her case has become a vivid example of increasingly aggressive enforcement tactics, leaving her film career on hold and her family fighting to keep her in the country while her legal proceedings continue.
#CheckInDetainment #SolitaryConfinement/Restraints
"They put her in hand shackles and in leg shackles, and around the waist as well, like she's some hardened criminal. She had tears streaming down her face, and she told me one of the ICE agents pulled out his cell phone, laughing, and took a selfie,"- Tucker May, her husband (2).
"Going home without her that night was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," May said. "She put so much effort into looking nice, because she was excited to take a step toward becoming an American, and I had to go home, and I had to put away the shoes that they took off her feet and gave to me in a plastic bag." Tucker May, her husband (2).
Gerardo Pachego Olvideros- #0237
A construction worker with no criminal record was detained by ICE on his way to work in San Bernardino after unmarked vehicles followed and pulled over the truck he was riding in with his brother. He was in the process of applying for legal status. Agents took him away without explanation, releasing his brother but not him. For two days, his family didn’t know where he was, eventually locating him at the Adelanto ICE facility. Since his arrest, his daughter says the family has been struggling emotionally and financially, unsure whether he’s still in Adelanto or transferred elsewhere, and she is desperate to get him released on bond so he can continue his residency process. (What is wild to me is the fact that an administration and ICE would see his story: someone who is hard working, a father, someone committing that he wants to do it the right way, and rather than try to find a way to get him here legally, contributing to our society and would rather lock him up for an indefinite amount of time to potentially deport him away from family. Instead of spending this time and effort towards deporting these people, could we not come up with a better immigration process?)
Burnsville Family- #0238
Sofia Alvarado was at home in Burnsville when ICE agents forcefully raided the house, breaking down multiple doors and ordering her, her mother, her daughter, and her niece at gunpoint into the kitchen, where they were told to hand over their phones. Sofia and her relatives, all U.S. citizens, had been hiding in the upstairs bathroom after hearing loud banging and not knowing who was outside. The raid began after ICE followed the downstairs tenants home from the grocery store and detained the man in the driveway; the woman ran inside and hid with her 7‑year‑old son before being arrested. ICE ultimately detained four people from the lower level, leaving two families separated and a 7‑year‑old boy without his parents. Sofia’s family says ICE entered without showing a warrant, though DHS later stated they had a removal order. Throughout the operation, Sofia and her family were frightened, confused, and briefly questioned before being cleared. #ExcessiveForce #Children
(1) ​​https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ring-camera-shows-ice-raid-minnesota-home-us-citizens-scared-4-arreste-rcna248189 (2) https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/ring-camera-captures-burnsville-ice-raid-that-leaves-7-year-old-without-parents-according-to-family-mn/89-1a69f800-3a3a-480d-9d9c-e09715d2ed04
Josue & Jose Trejo Lopez- #0239
Two brothers who fled El Salvador as children to escape extreme gang violence. Their mother fled due to fear of her sons growing up around gangs. They grew up in the United States, built lives there, and supported their mother and disabled younger brother. After nearly a decade of routine ICE check‑ins with no criminal history, they were suddenly detained, handcuffed, and placed into removal proceedings. They spent two months in a detention facility before being deported to El Salvador, a country they barely remember and where they have no family. Now living alone on the outskirts of San Salvador, they’re trying to survive with dwindling community donations while their attorney fights to bring them home. #SolitaryConfinement/Restraints #CheckInDetainment #Deported
Leo Garcia Venegas- #0240
A U.S. born citizen, was twice detained by immigration agents while working at construction sites in Alabama, despite repeatedly showing officers his ID. His attorneys say ICE agents targeted Latino workers, violently tackled him during the first incident, handcuffed him for over an hour, and then detained him again two weeks later after assuming he was undocumented. Garcia Venegas was released both times without explanation, and he is now suing the federal government for violating his Fourth Amendment rights. DHS claims he was detained because he obstructed an arrest, but his attorney disputes that and points to video showing he was simply recording from a distance. The lawsuit argues that ICE raids rely on racial profiling and that Garcia Venegas was targeted solely because he is Latino.
#ExcessiveForce
Jose Martinez- #0241
A U.S. Coast Guard veteran was wrongfully detained after returning from a 50th‑birthday cruise. Before sunrise, three armed agents burst into his cabin, shined flashlights in his face, shouted commands, and handcuffed him while he was still half‑asleep. Martinez was taken to a holding cell, questioned, and fingerprinted for about 90 minutes before agents admitted they had the wrong person, a mix‑up due to a common Hispanic name. His wife’s attempt to record the encounter was stopped when an agent seized her phone and deleted the video. Martinez described the ordeal as traumatizing and dehumanizing. #Veteran&Family #Released #ExcessiveForce
"The fact that what happened to me shows this could happen to anybody… There is so many other people out there that this is happening to, maybe not on a cruise ship, but maybe on the streets or in their homes. And it's just not right. There's no humanity in it. It's unnecessary. It's dehumanizing."- Veteran Jose Martinez ​
Rogelio- #0242
A 39‑year‑old Guatemalan immigrant who has lived in the U.S. since 2007, was nearly deported after being detained, despite having no serious criminal history and being married to a U.S. citizen with five U.S.‑born children and stepchildren. He was arrested during a traffic stop due to window tint and then held for almost seven months, during which his family struggled, especially his 5‑year‑old daughter Daniela, who has Down syndrome and a heart condition and lost access to much of her needed therapy. Rogelio applied for cancellation of removal, a form of relief granted to only a small fraction of detained immigrants, and after lengthy delays, a judge ruled that deporting him would cause “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship” to his family. The judge approved his case, DHS declined to appeal, and Rogelio was released, putting him on the path to a green card and eventual citizenship.
#InadequateConditions #Caregivers
Mauricio Prado- #0243
A father of five was detained by ICE for nearly six months after being picked up outside of Home Depot, despite having no criminal record and being the sole provider for his family. Prado came to the U.S. at 17, he had been trying to obtain legal status through Parole in Place, a program his son in the Navy was using to help him. His detention devastated the family, who described the experience as terrifying and traumatic. Prado was finally released and reunited with his children, but his future in the U.S. remains uncertain as he awaits a federal court hearing.
#Veteran&Family
Juanita Avila- #0244
A 47‑year‑old legal permanent resident and shop owner was violently detained by masked ICE agents in November despite carrying her green card in her pocket. Agents pulled her from her van, pinned her to the ground, accused her of being “illegal,” and ignored her daughter Emely’s pleas as she filmed the encounter. The arrest, which resulted in no charges, left Juanita injured, traumatized, and fearful for her children, especially her 12‑year‑old son with autism. Her case became central to a major class‑action lawsuit exposing ICE’s warrantless “arrest first, justify later” tactics, racial profiling, and quota‑driven operations in Oregon. A federal judge ultimately issued a sweeping injunction blocking ICE from conducting such arrests in the state, calling Juanita’s treatment “without any justification.” The incident shook the local immigrant community, spurred vigils and rapid‑response efforts, and pushed Juanita to join the lawsuit so others wouldn’t endure what she did.
#ExcessiveForce #Disabled/Sick #GreenCardHolder
​
Moises Sotelo- #0245
A pillar of the Oregon wine community was detained in June and deported in July suddenly. ICE claimed that he entered the U.S. in 2006 and had a DUI but local prosecutors said no such DUI record exists, and a vineyard owner reported working with him as far back as the mid‑1990s. According to his daughter Alondra, both of her parents had already submitted immigration cases to USCIS in early 2025, contradicting ICE’s narrative. His daughter spent weeks tracking him through ICE’s opaque system, then traveled to Mexico to help him rebuild his identity documents and start over in a country he hadn’t lived in for 30 years. She later helped her depressed mother relocate, managed donations, and oversaw the purchase and repair of a nearly empty house for her parents. As the wine industry struggles and ICE raids destabilize the wider community, Alondra has taken on the responsibility of supporting her family.
#LiesByICE #Deported
Kelly Yu- #0246
A beloved sushi restaurant owner was detained by ICE from May 2025 to February 2026, she was released from the Eloy detention facility after a judge granted a habeas corpus petition challenging her unlawful detention. Although she is now reunited with her family, she must wear an ankle monitor, stay within 75 miles, and continue regular court check‑ins. Yu fled China over 20 years ago and was denied asylum while pregnant. She had long been a fixture in her community, known for charitable work and supporting local schools and law enforcement. Her detention sparked bipartisan support from Democratic lawmakers to local Republican leaders all urging her release. After months of limited visitation and uncertainty, Yu said she is grateful to be home and hopes to one day secure legal status in the U.S. (DHS has fought almost the full year to keep her detained due to “unlawful status”. But, is our country better without a contributing member to society, one that loves our country more than many Americans, one who is involved in charity? When discussing this case, DHS states: “We will continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal of illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country” (3). Even hearing the mounting support and her intentions to do anything to become legal, they still fight to detain and deport her.) #Released
"I hope that [someone] can help me in the future that can change my status in the United States… We crossed the border. We didn't do anything wrong in the country. We just want to have a better life, pay our taxes."- Yu (1).
"They say they're only after criminals, and that's not true. We're not criminals," Yu (1).
“She is widely recognized for her contributions to the community, including donating meals to homeless shelters, supporting high school baseball teams and supporting local law enforcement,” Local Lawmakers (2).
Elvira Benitez Suarez- #0247
A 50‑year‑old was suddenly taken back into ICE custody during a routine check‑in on March 10, months after an immigration judge had ordered her release and approved her for a green card. Her original case stemmed from accidentally crossing into Canada during a 2025 road trip, and she has no criminal record, decades of community ties, and four US citizen children. Her attorney says ICE gave no explanation for the new detention, which has devastated her family after they were only recently reunited. She has since been transferred from Illinois to a Kentucky detention center, and her appeal could keep her in custody for months unless her legal team can challenge the detention in federal court.
#CheckInDetainment #Caregivers
Felix J. C. A.- #0248
A young asylum seeker from El Salvador was ordered to be released after ruling that ICE had no lawful basis to detain him. Felix entered the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor in 2019, was released to his father, and has a pending asylum case; his removal proceedings were administratively closed in 2024. ICE suddenly re‑detained him in January 2026, but the court found that the government was improperly using a detention statute meant for recent border arrivals, even though Felix had lived freely in the U.S. for six years. The judge ruled that ICE lacked any statutory authority to hold him, ordered his immediate release in Minnesota, and barred the government from re‑detaining him under the same rejected legal theory. He remained in custody for weeks after the order and DHS attempted to impose constraints on the release, including a bond. This was also ruled as unlawful.
#DefiedCourtOrder
Alexander- #0249
A Russian whistleblower who fled after exposing election irregularities, tried to seek asylum legally in the U.S. but had his CBP One appointment canceled hours after Trump’s inauguration. When he and his family presented themselves at the California border, officers ignored their asylum request, handcuffed them in front of their son, detained them for a month, and then secretly deported them to Costa Rica, a country they had never been to. There, they were held for two months in poor conditions, and their young son suffered medical trauma. Now living in Costa Rica on temporary humanitarian permits, the family is working and trying to rebuild their lives, but Alexander says they were “thrown out like baggage” and deported illegally, and they are still seeking justice for how both the U.S. and Costa Rica treated them.
#Deported #InadequateConditions #DefiedDueProcess