Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Federal agents spray chemical agents on protesters at New Jersey ICE detention facility — On May 28, 2026, federal ICE agents deployed chemical spray and pepper balls against protesters gathered outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, where over 300 detainees were conducting a hunger and labor strike. Agents also struck protesters with batons and pushed them into oncoming traffic. According to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, six protesters were arrested. The escalation followed ICE's transfer of strike leader Martín Soto to another facility.

Supporting reports

• New Jersey Department of Health denied full access to Delaney Hall — The New Jersey Department of Health was denied full access to Delaney Hall detention center for inspection purposes. Governor Mikie Sherrill subsequently joined calls for the facility's immediate closure following the denial and reports of abuse.

Supporting reports

• Democratic Senator Andy Kim pepper-sprayed by ICE agents during facility visit — U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) was pepper-sprayed by ICE agents on May 27, 2026, after visiting Delaney Hall detention center in Newark with New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill. Sherrill was denied entry to the facility. Kim subsequently condemned ICE and Geo Group and called for immediate closure of the facility.
• ICE pepper-sprays U.S. Senator Andy Kim during facility access attempt — On May 27, 2026, masked and armored ICE personnel pepper-sprayed U.S. Senator Andy Kim as he and other Democratic lawmakers, including New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, attempted to enter Delaney Hall to inspect conditions. Kim has made multiple prior visits in his congressional capacity and has publicly declared conditions "inhumane." DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin characterized the lawmakers' visit as "a political stunt" and denied the hunger strike was occurring, contradicting accounts from released detainees and advocates.

Supporting reports

• ICE pepper-sprays and tasers protesters outside Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark — On the evening of May 27, 2026, federal ICE officers deployed pepper spray and tasers against protesters gathered outside Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, where detainees were conducting a hunger and labor strike on their fifth day. Officers chased protesters across streets and onto train tracks, tasering at least one individual who was then carried into the facility. At least seven journalists were sprayed. The confrontation followed a day in which ICE had pepper-sprayed U.S. Senator Andy Kim during his attempt to enter the facility. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin denied the strike was occurring and accused Democratic lawmakers of spreading "smears."

Supporting reports

• ICE transfers hunger strike leader Martín Soto to another facility — ICE transferred Martín Soto, a key organizer of the hunger and labor strike at Delaney Hall, to another detention facility. Advocates allege the transfer was retaliatory action against Soto for organizing the strike. The transfer prompted escalated protests outside the facility on May 28.

Supporting reports

• ICE pepper-sprayed Senator Andy Kim and demonstrators at Delaney Hall detention facility — Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents deployed pepper spray and pepper balls against Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), Representative Rob Menendez Jr., Representatives Nellie Pou and LaMonica McIver, and approximately 150 protesters outside Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey. The protest was organized in response to a hunger strike by detainees protesting conditions, including inadequate medical care, overcrowding, and pressure to self-deport. The Department of Homeland Security subsequently denied the pepper spray deployment occurred and characterized the protesters as "dangerous rioters," though video evidence showed Kim had been present.

Supporting reports

• ICE Pepper-Sprays Senator Andy Kim and Protesters at Newark Detention Facility — Federal agents deployed pepper spray against anti-ICE protesters outside an immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, where detainees were conducting a hunger strike over poor conditions and denial of medical care. Senator Andy Kim, who had been denied entry despite claiming ICE approval for a congressional oversight visit, was among those pepper-sprayed. Kim reported that detainees had been threatened with retaliation for their protest activities.
• Federal agents pepper-spray US senator and protesters at ICE detention facility in Newark — US Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) joined Governor Mikie Sherrill at a protest outside Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark on May 25, where detainees were staging a hunger strike over poor conditions and denied medical care. ICE agents used batons, pepper spray, and pepper balls against protesters and attempted to move vehicles through the crowd. Kim said he positioned himself between protesters and agents to de-escalate but was pepper-sprayed. The DHS later denied the hunger strike and claimed agents used minimum force against "rioters."

Supporting reports

• USCIS announced sweeping changes to green card application procedures — The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, announced sweeping policy changes requiring most green card applicants to leave the United States and apply through consulates abroad. Previously, approximately 800,000 people annually applied for green cards, with roughly half applying from within the U.S. The new policy will force applicants to leave jobs, homes, and families for weeks or months at their own expense. Consulate decisions are "virtually unchallengeable" in court, and existing backlogs will worsen. The policy affects approximately half of all green card recipients, including spouses and children of U.S. citizens and skilled professionals obtaining green cards through employers.
• USCIS announces green card adjustment must occur outside the United States — The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday that foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status to secure green cards must now do so from outside the country via the State Department, rather than within the US. This marks a significant policy shift, as the green card process had remained unchanged for over 60 years. The rule change is part of the Trump administration's broader immigration policy agenda.
• Trump Administration Announces New Immigration Rule — The Trump administration announced a new immigration rule requiring foreign workers on temporary visas in the U.S. to return to their home countries while applying for green cards. This policy change disrupts the existing "Adjustment of Status" process, which allows high-skilled workers to apply for permanent residency while remaining in the U.S. The rule could significantly impact the tech industry, which relies heavily on immigrant talent. Legal challenges are expected, as the policy may conflict with existing laws passed by Congress.
• USCIS issues policy memo requiring many visa holders to obtain green cards through home countries — US Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a policy memo requiring many foreigners already in the US to leave the country and obtain green cards through their home countries rather than through adjustment of status (AOS). The memo affects hundreds of thousands of visa holders, including H-1B workers, EB-5 investors, and family-based applicants. A USCIS spokesperson later clarified that applicants offering economic benefit or national interest may continue current processes, but widespread confusion and fear persist among affected populations regarding job loss, family separation, and destabilization of long-term plans.

Supporting reports

• ICE agents deploy pepper spray and batons against protesters at New Jersey detention center — On May 24, 2026, ICE agents used pepper spray and batons to disperse approximately 70 protesters gathered outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey. Protesters had assembled to block the transfer of Martin Soto, a detainee who had announced a hunger and work strike demanding release of elderly, young, and medically vulnerable detainees. Despite the demonstration, ICE successfully transferred Soto to Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility. At least one protester was pepper-sprayed and another suffered a leg injury. Visitation at the facility was subsequently suspended.
• Law enforcement pepper-spray, tase, and arrest protesters at Delaney Hall during congressional oversight visit and detainee transfer — On May 24, during a congressional oversight visit to Delaney Hall, ICE officers pepper-sprayed protesters attempting to prevent the transfer of detainee Martin Soto, including U.S. Senator Andy Kim. The incident drew additional protesters to the facility. Government officials—ICE, New Jersey state police, and Newark police—have responded to ongoing demonstrations with pepper spray, tasers, tear gas, beatings, and arrests of dozens of protesters over the preceding two weeks.

Supporting reports

• Senator Andy Kim visited Delaney Hall and documented conditions — On Saturday, May 24, 2026, Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Representative Rob Menendez Jr. visited Delaney Hall. Kim subsequently posted on social media documenting conditions he observed, including an eighteen-year-old high school student in distress, a pregnant woman without adequate obstetric care, a woman who had suffered a miscarriage without medical attention, a mother separated from her four-month-old infant, inadequate food, and a court docket showing one judge handling 74 cases in one day (approximately five minutes per case). Kim also documented a detainee from South America threatened with deportation to Congo during an active Ebola outbreak.

Supporting reports

• Delaney Hall detainees initiated work and hunger strike — Approximately 300 detainees at Delaney Hall began a coordinated work and hunger strike on Friday, May 23, 2026, protesting conditions and treatment at the facility. Detainees reported worm-infested food, overcrowding, lack of medical care for those with serious conditions including HIV, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, and pressure to self-deport to third countries including Uganda. They called family members outside to share their accounts before guards restricted phone and tablet access. Detainees demanded immediate release of young detainees, the elderly, and the medically vulnerable, and sought attention to immigration judges ignoring their cases.
• Detainees conduct hunger and labor strike at Delaney Hall over conditions and due process — Between 300 and 400 detainees at the Geo Group-operated Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey initiated a hunger and labor strike on its fifth day as of May 27, 2026, demanding improved food, ventilation, medical care, and expedited immigration case processing. Detainees reported inedible food containing worms, lack of air conditioning, untreated flu outbreaks, delayed medical care, and miscarriages. Released detainees confirmed participation despite Trump administration denials. Detainees are paid as little as $1 per hour for facility work. The strike will continue until Governor Sherrill is permitted to meet with detainees.

Supporting reports

• USCIS policy memo requiring green card applicants to return to home countries for processing — The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), under Department of Homeland Security oversight, issued a policy memo on Friday requiring foreign nationals seeking to adjust immigration status and obtain green cards to do so from outside the United States via the State Department, rather than through the existing "adjustment of status" process available to those already in the country. The policy affects over 1 million immigrants currently waiting on green cards and will likely force applicants—particularly in mixed-status families—to leave jobs, homes, and relationships for unknown periods. The change reverses a process unchanged for over 60 years.

Supporting reports

• Detainees at Delaney Hall ICE facility engage in hunger and labor strike over conditions; families report medical neglect and inhumane treatment — Immigrants detained at Delaney Hall, a private ICE jail in New Jersey run by Geo Group, launched a hunger and labor strike beginning May 22 to protest substandard conditions including medical neglect, expired food, and inadequate sanitation. Elder Guerra, a Guatemalan immigrant held for five months, suffered a serious head injury in mid-May and was placed in medical isolation without adequate recovery care. Families report distress over visitation restrictions and fear of retaliation. Congressional oversight visits confirmed detainees' claims. DHS and Geo Group deny allegations while detainees report ongoing threats and discrimination from staff.
• Hunger and labor strike at Delaney Hall enters third week with women joining — The hunger and labor strike at the GEO Group-run Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, which began May 22 with approximately 300 detainees, entered its third week in June with dozens of detained women joining. Strikers cited medical neglect, spoiled food, lack of sanitation, denial of bond, and coercion to sign deportation documents. Demands include firing a guard accused of sexually assaulting at least 10 detained women. ICE responded by transferring most original hunger strikers to other facilities.
• Hunger and labor strike by detainees at Delaney Hall enters ninth day — On May 22, approximately 300–400 detainees at Delaney Hall immigration detention center began a hunger and labor strike demanding improved conditions, medical care, a meeting with Governor Sherrill, and expedited processing of their immigration cases. The strike continued through the week of protests, with detainees refusing food and work. The strike prompted family visitation cancellations and sparked external protests in support of the detainees' demands.
• Delaney Hall detainees begin hunger strike over case processing delays — On May 22, 2026, approximately 300 detainees at Delaney Hall, the largest detention center in the Northeast, began a hunger strike demanding immediate release of young, elderly, and medically vulnerable detainees and protesting that immigration judges are ignoring their cases. Detainees cited violations of Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights and reported that judges are conducting mass deportations without proper case review, disregarding federal court habeas corpus rulings, and processing cases at an unsustainable rate—one judge handling 74 cases in a single day.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge bans ICE arrests at Manhattan immigration courts except in rare cases — US District Judge P Kevin Castel issued a 15-page order on Monday prohibiting ICE agents from arresting immigrants at three federal courthouses in lower Manhattan (26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway) except under exceptional circumstances or when public safety is threatened. The ruling responded to a lawsuit by the ACLU, New York Civil Liberties Union, Make the Road NY, and other groups. Castel found a strong governmental interest in immigration enforcement must be balanced against individuals' right to attend removal proceedings and pursue asylum claims without fear of arrest. The judge noted the Trump administration had recently reversed its position on whether 2025 policies applied to immigration courts, and he corrected what he called a "clear error" after prosecutors apologized for material misstatements to the court.

Supporting reports

• ICE officer Christian Castro charged with assault in shooting of Venezuelan man Julio Sosa-Celis — Christian Castro, a 52-year-old ICE officer, was charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty for shooting Venezuelan national Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg on January 14, 2026, during the Trump administration's "Operation Metro Surge" immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Video evidence contradicted federal claims that Sosa-Celis attacked agents with a shovel; he had dropped the weapon and was running inside when shot. Federal prosecutors had initially charged Sosa-Celis but dropped charges after evidence proved inconsistent with testimony.

Supporting reports

• Brookings Institution study documents 145,000+ US children separated from detained parents during Trump ICE enforcement surge — The Brookings Institution released a report estimating that over 145,000 US citizen children have experienced parental detention by immigration authorities since Trump's second presidency began in January 2026. The study found approximately 22,000 children lost all co-resident parents, with 36% younger than six years old. The report notes DHS's own count of 18,277 detainees with US citizen children in fiscal 2025 is "almost certainly a substantial undercount." Researchers recommend DHS collect and publicly report accurate data on detained parents and affected children, and ensure affected children receive basic governmental support.

Supporting reports

• "Prevention through deterrence" border policy pushes migrants into remote desert terrain — Veteran borderlands volunteers describe a long-standing federal border enforcement strategy known as "prevention through deterrence," which deliberately makes border crossing extremely difficult by forcing migrants away from ports of entry into remote, dangerous desert regions. Volunteers call this policy "deterrence through death." The strategy has intensified with deployment of concertina wire and other barriers, pushing migrants into wilder terrain where heat exposure and dehydration are more likely to be fatal.

Supporting reports

• Border Patrol agents instructed to vandalize water stations left for migrants in desert — Former border patrol agent Jenn Budd, now an immigrant rights activist, alleges that border patrol agents are trained in the field to vandalize water jugs left in the desert by humanitarian organizations like Humane Borders. Budd claims this policy is framed as preventing illegal border crossing. Border Patrol responded by stating agents carry water and supplies to assist people in distress, and reiterated that "the border is closed."

Supporting reports

• Six deaths from heat exposure in sealed railway car near Laredo, Texas — Six people, aged 14 to 56 from Mexico and Honduras, were found dead inside a sealed Union Pacific railway car near Laredo, Texas. Medical examination indicates at least one died from hyperthermia (extreme heat exposure); the same cause is likely for all six. Investigators believe the group boarded the train near Del Rio and became trapped during transit. The deaths occur as immigration advocates warn of an approaching dangerous summer season for border crossers facing lethal temperatures.

Supporting reports

• HSI raids homes of immigration activists in Ventura County, California — Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations executed pre-dawn raids on May 13 at the homes and business of three immigration activists affiliated with VC Defensa, a volunteer-led group that organizes ICE-watch patrols and community support for immigrants in Ventura County. More than 100 agents were deployed across four locations. No arrests were made. The group's lawyer alleges the raids are "fishing expeditions" and constitutional violations; a coalition of lawyers is preparing a civil lawsuit. The raids follow a pattern of federal targeting of VC Defensa members over the past year, including arrests, car rammings, and harassment.
• VC Defensa announces civil lawsuit for constitutional violations — On May 14, the day after the raids, VC Defensa's lawyer Reem Yassin held a press conference at the federal building in Los Angeles announcing that a coalition of lawyers is preparing a civil lawsuit alleging violations of the volunteers' constitutional rights. Yassin characterized the raids as "fishing expeditions" built on "baseless" search warrants and described them as intimidation tactics to suppress free speech. The group vowed to continue organizing and fighting back.

Supporting reports

• Six people found dead in boxcar at Laredo rail yard near Texas-Mexico border — A Union Pacific employee discovered six deceased individuals inside a boxcar at a rail yard in Laredo, Texas on Sunday afternoon (May 11). The discovery occurred during a routine inspection of a stopped train before it continued northward. Authorities were working to establish cause of death; temperatures exceeded 90°F at the time. Ages and immigration status of the deceased remained unknown at the preliminary investigation stage. US Customs and Border Protection and Texas Rangers were notified and cooperating with local police.

Supporting reports

• Department of Justice closes San Francisco immigration court, relocates cases to Concord — The Department of Justice shuttered the major immigration court at 100 Montgomery Street in San Francisco, effective January 2027, relocating the majority of its caseload 35 miles away to Concord. The EOIR justified the closure as "cost effective." The decision follows the Trump administration's removal of 20 of the court's 22 judges over the past year. Legal experts warn the Concord facility, which recently lost six judges, lacks capacity to absorb San Francisco's 120,000 pending cases, potentially extending case resolution timelines by years and creating administrative chaos.

Supporting reports

• Tom Homan announced mass deportations and increased ICE deployment — At the Border Security Expo in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump's White House advisor on border security Tom Homan told Republicans that mass deportations are imminent and that the administration will deploy additional immigration officers to jurisdictions that are not cooperative. Homan stated: "You ain't seen sh*t yet. This year will be a good year. Mass deportations are coming" and promised more ICE agents than ever before.

Supporting reports

• Andrea Pedro-Francisco denied adequate medical care for ovarian cyst while in ICE detention — Andrea Pedro-Francisco, an asylum seeker from Guatemala, was detained by ICE on February 5, 2026, and sent to El Paso Service Processing Center. According to Amnesty International, she had a large ovarian cyst and was scheduled for surgery on February 11, but since being placed in detention "she has not received adequate medical care." There are indications that the cyst has grown considerably and Pedro-Francisco "is experiencing severe abdominal and lower back pain." Her case documents denial of necessary surgical care during the medical reimbursement freeze.
• Detainee death rate in ICE custody increased more than fivefold after medical reimbursement termination — From 2018 to 2024, the average annual death rate in ICE custody was 8.9 people. In 2025, 33 people died in ICE custody, including 12 after medical reimbursements stopped on October 3. In the first four months of 2026, 18 people died in ICE custody. Since the reimbursement termination, the annualized death rate is 51.7 people—more than five times the historical average. While the detainee population increased from 40,000 to 60,000 under Trump, even adjusting for population growth, the current death rate far exceeds historical norms. Most deaths were attributable to medical conditions rather than violent incidents.
• ICE detainee denied CT scan for chest lump despite court filing alleging systematic denial of care — Hayam El Gamal, detained at Dilly Immigration Processing Center in Texas, was refused a CT scan by center officials for a lump in her chest. According to an April 15, 2026, federal court filing, El Gamal, a mother of five, "has been pleading for medical attention for the abnormal growth, which has caused severe pain, since February 15." The court filing alleges that ICE is "systematically denying Ms. El Gamal medical care" and that the denial "poses an urgent threat to Ms. El Gamal's health and potentially her life." Her case exemplifies the pattern of medical care denial during the reimbursement freeze.
• ICE detainee with appendicitis told to take Tylenol and return in three days — On January 27, 2026, attorney Eric Lee reported that at Dilly Immigration Processing Center in Texas, one of his clients with appendicitis "collapsed in the hallway, was vomiting from pain, and the officials told him, take a Tylenol and come back in three days." The case documents ICE staff's failure to provide appropriate emergency medical care for a serious surgical condition during the period when medical reimbursements had been terminated.
• North Lake Processing Center detainees denied necessary medical care for chronic conditions — An April 13, 2026, report in The Detroit News documented that detainees at North Lake Processing Center in Michigan, which holds approximately 1,500 people, are not receiving necessary medical care. Ruth Pujols Beltre, a detainee with a history of cardiovascular issues, reported having swollen legs, tingling in her hands, and trouble breathing, but was only offered over-the-counter pain relievers. Ruby Robinson, managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, reported that one client detained at the facility "wasn't receiving any care for a festering wound that remained after an amputation as a result of diabetes." These cases document systematic denial of care for serious chronic conditions.

Supporting reports

• ICE seeking to expand detention warehouse infrastructure — Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced plans to build hundreds of warehouses to hold thousands of people indefinitely, with for-profit prison corporations receiving substantial taxpayer funding for each detained person. Community resistance has prevented any of these warehouses from becoming operational so far.