Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Widespread medical neglect reported across ICE detention facilities amid overcrowding — Multiple ICE detention facilities, including Stewart in Georgia and Krome in Miami, Florida, are experiencing severe medical neglect of detainees with serious health conditions. At Krome, at least three detainees have died in recent months and others with HIV have gone weeks without medication. Experts attribute the crisis to extreme overcrowding (nearly 48,000 detainees nationwide), chronic workforce shortages, and the elimination of federal oversight offices. Staff reportedly prioritize deportation over medical care, with one guard telling detainees: "Unless you're dying or bleeding out … they're not going to come."

Supporting reports

• ICE deported breastfeeding mother, separating her from U.S. citizen infant — Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported Heidy Sánchez, a Cuban-born mother of a one-year-old still breastfeeding, leaving the child in the United States with the father, a U.S. citizen. Sánchez was detained when she appeared for a scheduled check-in with ICE.
• ICE deported three U.S. citizen children to Honduras with their arrested mothers — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained two mothers during routine immigration check-ins and deported them to Honduras, taking with them three U.S. citizen children aged 2, 4, and 7. One child had Stage 4 cancer and was sent without medication or medical consultation despite agents being informed of the medical need. The mothers were not permitted to speak with family or lawyers before deportation. ICE claimed the mothers chose to take their children, but the refusal to allow legal counsel contact means only agents' accounts exist of how the decision was made.

Supporting reports

• Democratic lawmakers call for release of Tufts student detained by ICE — U.S. Senator Ed Markey and Representatives Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley, all from Massachusetts, published an essay in the New York Times calling for the immediate release of Tufts University graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk from ICE detention in Louisiana. The lawmakers documented poor detention conditions—inadequate food, extreme cold, denied religious accommodations, and withheld asthma medication—and characterized her detention as political repression targeting her for critical speech about Israel-Palestine, not immigration violations. They also highlighted similar treatment of Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil, arrested without a warrant, and warned of broader unconstitutional enforcement patterns under the Trump administration.

Supporting reports

• Congressional delegation visits ICE detention facilities; lawmakers denounce detention of student activists — A bipartisan congressional delegation led by Rep. Troy Carter visited two ICE processing centers in Louisiana on April 22, 2025, to inspect conditions and meet with Mahmoud Khalil and Rümeysa Öztürk, graduate students detained for pro-Palestinian activism. The lawmakers denounced their detention as unconstitutional, describing it as political imprisonment and a "national disgrace." Neither detainee has been accused of criminal conduct. The delegation included Reps. Bennie Thompson, Ayanna Pressley, Jim McGovern, Senator Ed Markey, and ACLU officials.

Supporting reports

• Detention of Irish green card holder Cliona Ward at San Francisco airport — Cliona Ward, 54, a green card holder who has lived legally in the US for four decades, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at San Francisco airport on 21 April after returning from Ireland. Ward holds convictions for drug possession from 2007 and 2008 that she believed were expunged. She was transported to an ICE facility in Tacoma, Washington, where she remains held pending an immigration hearing scheduled for 7 May. The detention is part of a broader Trump administration crackdown on documented migrants, including green card holders.
• Irish green card holder Cliona Ward released after 17-day ICE detention — Cliona Ward, a 54-year-old Irish national and long-term US green card holder, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at San Francisco airport on 21 April after returning from Ireland. She was held for 17 days in a Tacoma, Washington facility over a criminal record from 2007–2008 (drug possession and misdemeanours) that had been expunged at state but not federal level. A California judge agreed to formally overturn the convictions at federal level, enabling her release on 8 May. Ward, who has lived legally in the US for decades, works for a non-profit, pays taxes, and cares for a US-citizen son.

Supporting reports

• ICE denies Mahmoud Khalil temporary release to attend birth of his son — Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist detained in Louisiana by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, requested temporary release to attend the birth of his first child in New York. ICE denied the request despite his lawyers proposing reasonable alternatives including a two-week furlough with ankle monitoring. Khalil's wife, Noor Abdalla, gave birth on April 21, and Khalil was only able to participate via telephone call from over 1,000 miles away. Abdalla characterized the denial as a "purposeful decision by ICE to make me, Mahmoud, and our son suffer."

Supporting reports

• Palestinian green-card holder detained during naturalization interview — Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green-card holder and Columbia student, was detained by immigration authorities while attending a naturalization interview on April 21, 2025. Senator Peter Welch of Vermont met with Mahdawi following his detention, indicating congressional concern over the arrest.

Supporting reports

• Deportation of Venezuelan Musician to El Salvador — Arturo Suárez Trejo, a Venezuelan musician, was deported from the United States to El Salvador under the Trump administration's immigration policies. Suárez, who had been living in North Carolina, was detained and accused without evidence of being a criminal. He was subsequently sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, where his family has lost contact with him. This action is part of a broader policy affecting over 200 Venezuelan men, raising concerns about human rights and due process.

Supporting reports

• Social Security Administration executive placed on leave for objecting to adding living immigrants to death database — A senior Social Security Administration executive was escorted out of his office by security and placed on leave after objecting to the Trump administration's effort to add thousands of living immigrants to the agency's deaths database. The policy would prevent living immigrants from legally earning wages, with officials hoping it would spur them to leave the country. The executive's removal represents retaliation for internal dissent.

Supporting reports

• Immigration judge denies bail to Turkish PhD student detained for op-ed on Gaza — Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University and former Fulbright scholar, was detained by ICE agents on 25 March after co-authoring a campus newspaper op-ed about Gaza. An immigration judge denied her bond on 16 April, ruling her both a "flight risk" and "danger to the community," despite DHS only arguing flight risk. Her visa was revoked based solely on a one-paragraph State Department memorandum citing the op-ed's association with an organization temporarily banned from campus. She faces deportation without being charged with any crime.

Supporting reports

• ICE detention of Mohsen Mahdawi, Palestinian green-card holder and Columbia student — Mohsen Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident and Columbia University student, was arrested by ICE agents on Monday morning in Colchester, Vermont, while attending a naturalization interview. His attorneys argue the detention violates his First Amendment rights and constitutes retaliation for his pro-Palestinian activism and speech. Mahdawi's lawyers filed a habeas petition and sought a temporary restraining order to prevent his removal from the jurisdiction or country. DHS has not confirmed his whereabouts or responded to requests for comment.
• Judge orders bail hearing for detained Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi — Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green-card holder and Columbia University student, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 14 while attending a naturalization interview in Vermont. The Trump administration is seeking to deport him, claiming his pro-Palestinian activism could "potentially undermine" Middle East peace efforts. On April 23, a federal judge extended a temporary restraining order keeping Mahdawi in Vermont and scheduled a bail hearing for the following week, rejecting ICE's apparent plan to transfer him to a detention center in Louisiana.
• Mohsen Mahdawi released from ICE detention and graduates from Columbia University — Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi, arrested by ICE in Vermont on 14 April while attending a naturalization interview, was detained and ordered deported by the Trump administration without being charged with a crime. A federal judge released him two weeks later, likening the government's actions to McCarthyist repression. Mahdawi graduated from Columbia University on Monday to a standing ovation. He remains in legal limbo as the administration attempts to deport him using a statute allowing the secretary of state to revoke legal status based on perceived threats to foreign policy.
• Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi arrested by ICE at citizenship interview — Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student and green card holder who led demonstrations at Columbia University, was arrested by ICE agents when he went to a citizenship interview. Later that day, a federal judge temporarily blocked Mahdawi from being deported or removed from Vermont while his lawyers challenge the legality of his deportation.

Supporting reports

• Cardinal Prevost reposted criticism of Trump and Bukele's deportation of U.S. resident — On April 14, 2025, Cardinal Robert Prevost reposted a statement by Bishop Evelio Menjivar criticizing President Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for laughing at the federal deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a U.S. resident and formerly undocumented Salvadoran. Menjivar's statement asked: "Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?" Prevost's repost amplified institutional Catholic criticism of the administration's deportation practices and their treatment as a matter of mockery.

Supporting reports

• Social Security Administration executive physically dragged from office by DOGE staff — Greg Pearre, a senior executive at the Social Security Administration in charge of an IT team working on the agency's data systems, was physically dragged from his office this week after a dispute with DOGE staff. Pearre had objected to DOGE's effort to cut off immigrants from being able to access bank accounts or credit cards.

Supporting reports

• DHS agents turned away from Los Angeles elementary schools seeking undocumented students — Immigration agents from the Department of Homeland Security attempted to enter two Los Angeles elementary schools (Lillian Street and Russell) on Thursday seeking five students in grades one through six. School principals turned them away after requesting identification. Los Angeles Unified, a sanctuary district, does not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The incident marks the Trump administration's first attempt to enter LA public schools since rescinding Biden-era guidelines that prohibited ICE enforcement in sensitive areas including schools and churches.

Supporting reports

• DHS sent removal notice to US-born immigration lawyer — Nicole Micheroni, a US-born American citizen and Massachusetts immigration attorney, received an email from Trump administration immigration authorities on April 11 stating "It is time for you to leave the United States" and threatening law enforcement action if she did not depart immediately. DHS later claimed the notice may have been sent in error because her name appeared on client paperwork. The incident occurred amid aggressive Trump administration deportation efforts targeting both non-citizens and, according to public statements, potentially US citizens.
• Government sends erroneous deportation notices to U.S. citizens — The government mistakenly sent deportation notices to U.S. citizens, green card holders, and even a Canadian, threatening them with termination of their parole and demanding they leave the U.S. within seven days.
• Government sent erroneous deportation notices to U.S. citizens, green card holders, and foreign nationals — The government sent threatening emails to U.S. citizens, green card holders, and even a Canadian resident in Canada, terminating "your parole" and giving them seven days to leave the U.S. The notices were sent in error as part of the automated deportation system. The administration's attempt to automate mass deportation operations has produced widespread errors affecting people with legal status and foreign nationals outside U.S. jurisdiction.

Supporting reports

• Immigration judge sets deadline for Trump administration to justify Mahmoud Khalil's deportation — Immigration Judge Jamee Comans ruled that the Trump administration must present evidence by 5pm Wednesday justifying the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate who holds a green card. Khalil was detained on March 8. The government claims his presence has adverse foreign policy consequences but has provided no evidence he broke the law. Judge Comans stated she may rule Friday on his release if the evidence does not support deportation. The case raises free speech concerns, as Khalil's legal team argues the deportation is retaliatory for his pro-Palestinian activism.
• Immigration judge ordered DHS to provide evidence for Khalil deportation — An immigration judge told DHS to turn over "sufficient evidence" to justify deporting Mahmoud Khalil by Wednesday, or she would terminate the case and order his release.
• Rubio offered no evidence of criminal activity for Khalil deportation — In a court filing, Rubio offered no evidence that Khalil engaged in criminal activity. Instead, the government is seeking to deport him over his "beliefs" alone.
• Immigration judge rules Palestinian organizer Mahmoud Khalil eligible for deportation based on Secretary of State memo regarding his political views — An immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and Palestinian organizer, is eligible for deportation. The ruling accepted a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that Khalil's "beliefs, statements or associations" are counter to U.S. foreign policy interests as sufficient evidence for removal of a lawful permanent resident. The judge determined she had no authority to rule on free speech concerns. Khalil, arrested by ICE in March, has been detained in Louisiana for over a month. His legal team plans to appeal and pursue an asylum case.

Supporting reports

• US citizen Jose Hermosillo wrongfully detained by Border Patrol in Arizona for nearly 10 days — On 8 April, Border Patrol agents in Nogales, Arizona detained 19-year-old US citizen Jose Hermosillo, claiming he lacked proper immigration documents and had admitted entering illegally. Despite Hermosillo's repeated assertions of US citizenship, he was held at Florence correctional center for nearly 10 days. On 17 April, a federal magistrate judge dismissed his case after his family provided birth certificate and social security card proving citizenship. He was released that evening.
• Border Patrol officer documented false statements in official detention record — A Border Patrol officer created an official transcript of Hermosillo's encounter that falsely documented statements Hermosillo says he never made, including claims that he was born in Mexico, was a Mexican citizen, and entered the U.S. illegally. The officer signed the document attesting that Hermosillo "read" it or had it read to him, but Hermosillo states no one read him the document and he cannot read. The same officer also created a criminal complaint containing a factual error, placing Hermosillo's detention location 70 miles from where it actually occurred.
• U.S. citizen wrongfully detained by Border Patrol for 10 days based on false statements — Jose Hermosillo, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen from New Mexico, was arrested and held for 10 days at Florence Correctional Center in Arizona after approaching a Border Patrol officer for directions following a medical emergency. Border Patrol falsely documented that Hermosillo claimed to be an undocumented Mexican immigrant, though Hermosillo states he never made such statements and cannot read the transcript he was ordered to sign. DHS publicly defended the detention on X, citing the false transcript. Hermosillo was released on April 17 after his family provided his birth certificate to the court.

Supporting reports

• Georgetown scholar held in cell without bed for 21 hours daily during Ramadan — Lawyers for Georgetown scholar Badar Khan Suri, who was arrested by ICE last month, said Suri was held in a cell without a bed and with a TV blaring 21 hours a day for nearly two weeks. He was also denied food or water to break his Ramadan fast.

Supporting reports

• 60 Minutes investigation found 75% of deported men had no criminal record — A 60 Minutes investigation found that 75% of 238 men the Trump administration sent to El Salvador last month had no criminal record, and the vast majority of those who did were convicted of non-violent crimes like shoplifting and trespassing.
• CBS News reported 75% of Venezuelans deported to El Salvador lack criminal convictions — CBS News's 60 Minutes reported that 75% of the Venezuelans the Trump administration sent to prison in El Salvador have no apparent criminal convictions or criminal charges. Another 22% have records for nonviolent crimes such as shoplifting or trespassing. Only a dozen or so are accused of serious crimes including murder, rape, assault, or kidnapping. When reporters asked the Department of Homeland Security about these numbers, a spokesperson claimed that those without criminal records "are actually terrorists, human rights abusers, gangsters, and more; they just don't have a rap sheet in the U.S."
• Report on Venezuelan Deportations Raises Due Process Concerns — A report revealed that 75% of Venezuelans deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration had no criminal convictions, raising alarms about the treatment of migrants and the lack of due process. The Department of Homeland Security defended the deportations, claiming that those without records are still dangerous.
• Ruling affirmed — Abrego Garcia v. Noem (D. Md.) 8:25-cv-00951 — Defendants submitted a Response to the Order stating that the government could not provide information in response to the April 10 order by the designated time of 9:30AM ET on April 11. After a hearing in which the government did not provide answers, the judge issued an Order stating “counsel [for the Defendant] could not confirm, and thus did not advance any evidence, that Defendants had done anything to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return. This remained Defendants' position even after this Court reminded them that the Supreme Court of the United States expressly affirmed this Court's authority to require the Government ‘facilitate' Abrego Garcia's return” (emphasis in original). The order requires the Defendant to provide a daily update of actions taken to facilitate his return.
• Trump administration deported individuals to El Salvador without court hearings based on alleged gang tattoos — Since taking office, the Trump administration has deported hundreds of individuals it alleges are members of Tren de Aragua to a notorious prison in El Salvador without court hearings. Recent legal challenges have raised questions about the accuracy of gang allegations, with lawyers arguing that some deportees were misidentified based solely on tattoos. Cases include a man deported for a crown tattoo inspired by Real Madrid's logo and a makeup artist deported after officials deemed his crown tattoos—referencing Three Kings Epiphany celebrations—proof of gang membership. The pattern suggests systemic reliance on unreliable tattoo-based identification.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration ICE arrests Venezuelan TPS holders despite legal protections — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been unlawfully arresting and detaining Venezuelans with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) at their homes, workplaces, during check-ins, and on streets across Virginia, New York, Texas, and New Mexico. Despite federal law explicitly prohibiting detention of TPS holders based on immigration status, attorneys report detainees have been held for weeks without legal justification. The Trump administration's Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attempted to revoke TPS for Venezuelans, though a federal judge paused that action on April 7, 2025. Lawyers suggest ICE may be pre-emptively detaining TPS holders in preparation for potential mass deportations.
• Federal judge pauses Kristi Noem's attempt to revoke Venezuelan TPS — A federal judge issued an order pausing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, which was set to take effect on April 7, 2025. The judge found that revoking TPS for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans would "inflict irreparable harm" on hundreds of thousands of people, cost the U.S. billions in economic activity, and injure public health and safety. The Trump administration had moved quickly to revoke the protections after taking office, despite the Biden administration's prior extension of TPS for Venezuelans facing persecution and humanitarian crisis.

Supporting reports

• State Department revokes visas of approximately 300 students for pro-Palestinian activism — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department revoked approximately 300 student visas, stating at a news conference in Guyana that he removes visas from activists he identifies. The revocations target international students engaged in pro-Palestinian activism and demonstrations on U.S. campuses, including students at Columbia University and Tufts University.
• Secretary of State revoked all visas for South Sudanese passport holders — Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he would revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and restrict new visas from being issued. No stated justification was provided for the blanket revocation.
• Trump administration revokes all South Sudanese visas in repatriation dispute — The U.S. Department of State, under Secretary Marco Rubio, revoked all visas held by South Sudanese passport-holders and suspended issuance of new visas, effective immediately. The action was taken in response to South Sudan's alleged failure to accept repatriation of one individual. Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau stated that all visa appointments are cancelled and no South Sudanese nationals will enter the U.S. on a visa until the matter is resolved. The measure affects approximately 133 people on temporary protected status.

Supporting reports

• Revocation of Student Visas for Protesting — Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked the visas of 300 students who protested in support of Palestine, including two students from NC State University. This action raises concerns about the suppression of free speech and the use of visa revocation as a tool to silence dissent.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked visas of 300 students who protested in support of Palestine — Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked the visas of 300 students, including two at NC State University, who had protested in support of Palestine. The article identifies this as an example of visa revocation targeting political protest activity.

Supporting reports

• USCIS announces surveillance of immigrants' social media for antisemitic activity — In April 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would begin surveilling immigrants' social media activity for "antisemitic activity." According to an ICE statement that cited multiple of Trump's executive orders, the policy could affect people "applying for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students and [immigrants] affiliated with educational institutions." The Trump administration has frequently equated pro-Palestine statements and protests with antisemitism, and this policy could result in students who post statements in support of Palestine having their visas revoked.

Supporting reports

• Government admits administrative error in Abrego Garcia arrest but refuses return — On March 31, 2025, the government admitted that its arrest and rendition of Kilmar Abrego Garcia occurred because of "administrative error" but argued he could not be brought back because he is now outside U.S. jurisdiction. The government simultaneously accused him of being a member of MS-13 gang and claimed that bringing him back would threaten public safety, despite no evidence of gang membership and his prior clean record.
• Trump administration attorneys admitted ICE deported legal U.S. resident by administrative error — Trump administration attorneys filed a court document admitting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials seized and deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia by accident. Abrego Garcia, who fled gang threats in El Salvador at age 16, had no criminal record, worked as a union sheet metal apprentice, was married to an American citizen, and was the father of a disabled U.S. citizen. He had been granted legal protected status from return to El Salvador after a judge found he would likely be targeted by gangs. The government deported him to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) due to "an oversight" but argued in court that because he is no longer in U.S. custody, courts cannot order his return.
• Trump administration attorneys admitted to deporting a legal resident by mistake — Trump administration attorneys acknowledged in a court filing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement mistakenly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal resident from El Salvador, due to an administrative error. Abrego Garcia had been granted legal protected status and was not charged with a crime. The government claimed it could not be held accountable for his deportation since he was no longer in U.S. custody.
• Justice Department refused to return deported individual despite admitting deportation error — The Justice Department admitted it made an error in deporting Kilmar Abrego García to El Salvador without legal authorization, but refused to bring him back. The article notes that García's lawyer stated he had "never had a case remotely like this, in which they intentionally deport someone to a country without any legal authorization to do so."

Supporting reports

• ACLU Obtains "Alien Enemies Act Validation Guide" from ICE — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) obtained a guide from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that outlines a point system for determining if an immigrant qualifies for rendition to a detention center in El Salvador. The criteria for tagging individuals as gang members are largely subjective, raising concerns about potential abuses of power and wrongful detentions.
• ICE distributed point system guide for determining "Alien Enemy" status for rendition — The American Civil Liberties Union obtained an "Alien Enemies Act Validation Guide" used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to determine if an immigrant qualifies for rendition to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador. The guide uses a subjective point system in which officers assign points based on perceived gang tattoos, gang signs, or association with individuals ICE identifies as gang members. According to the American Immigration Council, nearly all criteria are subjective, allowing ICE to declare any Venezuelan an "Alien Enemy" without concrete evidence based solely on officer interpretation.
• Trump administration deploys flawed gang-identification system to deport Venezuelans without due process — The Trump administration created an "Alien Enemy Validation Guide" that assigns points to determine Venezuelan gang membership, including four points for Michael Jordan tattoos, crown tattoos, or "high-end street wear." The system lacks evidentiary rigor—federal CBP documents acknowledge that common tattoos are unreliable gang indicators and that TDA does not require member tattoos. Over 200 Venezuelan noncitizens were deported to an El Salvador prison without due process under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which requires a declared war or invasion. A federal court issued a temporary restraining order; the Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court.