ICE deletes posts defending U.S. citizen's arrest as detention lawsuits mount
Summary
- Reporting has documented more than 500 cases of U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents during President Trump's immigration enforcement campaign.
- Documented cases include at least 70 children and teens, citizens held for days without lawyers, and roughly a dozen citizens wrongly deported, mostly children.
- The Department of Homeland Security denies arresting citizens, says those briefly questioned are released, and calls its operations highly targeted.
- Minneapolis resident Aliya Rahman sued the government over her January ICE arrest; ICE later deleted X posts defending the arrest, raising federal record-keeping questions.
- Other cases include St. Peter nurse Jamie Martens's $550,000 lawsuit and outrage over the detention of California high school student Erik Zepeda.
- House Democrats have demanded answers from DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and a bill was introduced to ease citizens' wrongful-arrest lawsuits.
Reactions
- The Department of Homeland Security denies detaining Americans, calls allegations false and its operations highly targeted, and says citizens are released once identified.
- A DHS spokesperson said it is aware of Aliya Rahman's lawsuit, looks forward to vigorously defending itself in court, and declined questions about the deleted posts.
- A DHS spokesperson accused Democratic lawmakers of showing more concern for 'criminal illegal aliens' than for victims of crimes by people in the country illegally.
- Senator Adam Schiff called Erik Zepeda's detention grotesque and heartbreaking and demanded accountability; Representative Salud Carbajal called the agents' conduct thuggish and racial profiling rampant.
- Aliya Rahman's attorney Jessica Gingold said ICE's deleted posts suggest officials are dodging accountability and forecast more lawsuits against the administration.
- Darius Reeves, a former overseer of ICE's Baltimore office, said he had never seen so many U.S. citizen encounters in all his years, calling it an embarrassment.
Timeline newest first
ICE deleted at least two posts from its X account defending its January arrest of Minneapolis U.S. citizen Aliya Rahman after she sued the government; whether the deletions were legal is unclear.
An investigation published photo profiles of detained U.S. citizens, including a 79-year-old car wash owner knocked to the ground and a high school senior detained defending her autistic brother.
St. Peter, Minnesota, nurse Jamie Martens sued the federal government for $550,000 over her Jan. 29 arrest by ICE agents during Operation Metro Surge, alleging assault, battery, and false arrest.
Carlos Jimenez, a U.S. citizen shot by an ICE agent in Southern California, sued the federal government for $25 million the day before Aliya Rahman filed her lawsuit.
ICE agents detained 20-year-old U.S. citizen Erik Zepeda as he walked to his Santa Maria, California, high school on Oct. 21, breaking his wrist; ICE denied he suffered broken bones and said he matched a criminal target.
Sources newest first
- Aliya Rahman Is Suing ICE For Abuse. DHS Deleted Its Tweets About Her.
HuffPost reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement deleted at least two posts from its X account that had dismissed Aliya Rahman's allegations, after the Minneapolis software engineer sued the U.S. government over a January arrest in which agents smashed her car window and dragged her out, and testified to Congress. Her attorney Jessica Gingold says the deletions came only after months of unanswered cease-and-desist demands and suggest officials are dodging accountability, while it remains unclear whether the deletions violated federal record-keeping rules; a DHS spokesperson declined to comment.
We Photographed U.S. Citizens Held Against Their Will by Immigration Agents — ProPublicaProPublica's "More Than Numbers," reported by Sarahbeth Maney and Nicole Foy with photos by Maney, identifies more than 500 U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents since Trump returned to office, profiling cases including a 79-year-old car wash owner knocked to the ground, a autistic teenager's sister, and an Iraq veteran held three days without charges. The Department of Homeland Security denies detaining Americans and says citizens are released once identified.
ICE Deletes Posts After Getting Sued for Arresting U.S. Citizennewrepublic.com· 2d
A New Republic roundup reports that ICE deleted X posts defending its arrest of Minneapolis resident Aliya Rahman—whom it dragged from her car and who sued for false arrest—despite federal rules requiring agencies to preserve records. It also covers reported Starshield disruptions in Ukraine, Republican midterm recriminations, and Scott Colom's Mississippi Senate win.
St. Peter nurse, whose arrest by federal agents last winter went viral, sues governmentSt. Peter nurse Jamie Martens is suing the federal government for $550,000 over her January 29 arrest by ICE while she observed enforcement activity during Operation Metro Surge, alleging assault, battery and false arrest. Her dashcam video of agents forcing her from her car drew national attention and was shown at a Senate hearing; no charges were filed against her.
ABC News Live on Instagram: "Aliya Rahman, a disabled resident in Minneapolis, described the experience of being dragged out of her car, restrained and arrested when she got caught up in an ICE enforcement operation while on the way to a doctor's appointment. “What concerns me the most is not me — winstagram.com
ABC News' Instagram accounts cover several stories: Aliya Rahman, a disabled Minneapolis resident, says she was dragged from her car and arrested after being caught in an ICE operation en route to a doctor's appointment, quoting her worry for people she saw inside a detention center. It also reports gas falling below $4 a gallon per GasBuddy, House Republicans electing Jim Jordan minority leader over Steve Scalise, and questions at Nvidia after CEO Jensen Huang's reported affair with an alleged Chinese government agent.
- Aliya Rahman Sues U.S. Government After Violent ICE Encounter
HuffPost reports that Aliya Rahman, a Minneapolis software engineer violently pulled from her car by ICE agents in January while heading to a doctor's appointment, is suing the federal government on eight counts including assault and false imprisonment. Her attorney Jessica Gingold dismisses ICE agents' immunity claims as "just patently false" and vows, "We will find the names."
Aliya Rahman wants to unmask the ICE agents who dragged her from her carMother Jones reports on Aliya Rahman's assault and false imprisonment lawsuit against the federal government over masked ICE agents who dragged her, a disabled Minneapolis resident, from her car and detained her despite her US citizenship. Her lawyer says the suit will unmask the officers, and it joins others seeking restitution for ICE violence, including 54 ACLU tort claims and Carlos Jimenez's $25 million suit after being shot by an ICE agent.
Disabled Minneapolis woman who was arrested by ICE sues Trump administrationms.now· 4d
MS NOW reports that Aliya Rahman, a disabled Minneapolis woman with autism and a traumatic brain injury, sued the federal government on February 10, 2026, over her January 13 arrest during ICE's Operation Metro Surge, alleging excessive force, unlawful arrest, and denied medical care. Her attorney Jessica Gingold says the DHS has not acted against the officers, whom the agency has disputed by calling Rahman an agitator.
Outcry after ICE violently detains US citizen walking to high school: ‘I thought they were going to kill me’The Guardian reports outrage in California after ICE agents detained Erik Zepeda, a 20-year-old US citizen with disabilities, breaking his wrist as he walked to his Santa Maria high school on 21 October — part of an ICE surge that also injured citizen Ricardo Gonzalez in Long Beach and drew student walkouts and calls for investigation from Senator Adam Schiff and Representative Salud Carbajal. ICE says officers believed Zepeda matched a criminal target and denies he suffered broken bones, while his attorneys say discharge records confirm the surgery and video evidence points to racial profiling.
After ProPublica Investigation, House Democrats Demand Answers on U.S. Citizens Detained by Immigration AgentsCiting ProPublica's investigation, House Democrats led by Rep. Lou Correa are pressing the Trump administration to explain why hundreds of U.S. citizens have been detained by immigration agents and how it verifies citizenship, in an October 2026 letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. ProPublica counted more than 500 citizens detained, roughly a dozen deported (mostly children), and 36 held at least a day without contacting a lawyer or family; DHS denies arresting citizens and calls the operations highly targeted, while Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández introduced a bill easing citizens' suits for wrongful arrests.
Search More Than 500 Cases of U.S. Citizens Detained by Immigration Agents — ProPublicaProPublica's searchable database catalogues more than 500 cases of U.S. citizens reportedly detained by immigration agents from Inauguration Day through Oct. 21, 2026, drawing on social media videos, court records and its own reporting, each verified by at least two sources. DHS has repeatedly said it is not arresting citizens, and ProPublica calls its list almost certainly an undercount.
More Than 500 U.S. Citizens Have Been Detained, Including Handcuffed or Held at Gunpoint, in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown — ProPublicaProPublica's article documents 519 U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents during the Trump administration, including people handcuffed, held at gunpoint, held for days without lawyers, and roughly a dozen wrongly deported. The Department of Homeland Security denies arresting citizens by mistake, while former homeland security officials quoted in the piece call the pattern an embarrassment.
Background newest first
The Midterms Were a Revolt Against ICE. Democrats Need to Remember That.thenation.com· 30h
In a Nation opinion piece, Felipe de la Hoz argues the 2026 midterms were a revolt against ICE's crackdown—including the Minneapolis invasion and the killings of Alex Pretti and Renée Good—and warns that Democrats risk squandering that mandate if pundits' kitchen-table framing wins out. He recommends DHS officials face congressional hearings, a Church Committee–style investigation, possible prosecutions or impeachment, clawed-back funding, and a conversation about abolition, noting Trump's elevation of Stephen Miller to chief of staff makes stopping him urgent.
US reports record number of deportations and arrests in 2026aljazeera.com· 38h
The US reported record 483,200 deportations and more than 491,000 immigration arrests in fiscal year 2026, surpassing the previous record of 442,640 set in 2025, days after Donald Trump conceded the crackdown may have been "too tough". The figures follow the fatal shooting of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis, and Democrats winning Congress in 2027 plan to target ICE tactics, with Senator-elect Peggy Flanagan vowing to "rip ICE apart".
Delia Ramirez wants Democrats to meet the momentMother Jones interviews Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois, who argues that after the midterms gave Democrats the House, they should meet the moment by passing the most comprehensive immigration reform bill they can and sending it to Trump rather than negotiating down. She calls Trump's softened 60 Minutes rhetoric gaslighting given his promotion of Stephen Miller, urges clawing back ICE funding while building toward dismantling the agency, and, vying for the Homeland Security oversight gavel, promises investigations into detention conditions, due process violations, and officials including Noem, Miller, Homan, and Bovino.
Oil Exec Who Got Nice Contract on Venezuelan Oil was Top Vance DonorThe New Republic reports that Vice President JD Vance, a top donor's secret Bozeman meeting days before the U.S. invaded Venezuela, was followed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright asking the donor's firm, Vitol, about selling Venezuelan crude—licenses that went to Vitol and Trafigura and that Representative Robert Garcia is now questioning. The page also rounds up Nick Shirley's retracted food-stamp fraud accusations against Lam's Seafood, Trump's postwar statements on Iran, ICE deleting posts about Aliya Rahman's arrest, and Starshield disruptions in Ukraine.
ICE deportations and arrests hit record high as Trump faces reckoning over immigration crackdowncbsnews.com· 2d
CBS News reports record ICE deportations and arrests in fiscal year 2026 — 483,200 removed and over 491,000 arrested, per Homeland Security figures — as President Trump, after Republican midterm losses, acknowledged in a "60 Minutes" interview that parts of the crackdown were too tough while elevating Stephen Miller, the policies' architect, to chief of staff. Officials do not expect the crackdown to slow, with sources saying ICE has been told to aim for roughly 19,000 arrests a week, while exit polling found 58% of voters said enforcement had gone too far.
Where Democrats Stand on Chuck Schumer NowThe New Republic reports that Chuck Schumer is losing support among Democrats, with Bernie Sanders declining to back him, Chris Van Hollen weighing a challenge, and 24 senators or senators-elect uncommitted ahead of January's leadership vote. The article also covers House Democrats' 11 absences that tanked the impeachment vote against Pete Hegseth, White House counsel Will Scharf's warning letter to Representative Robert Garcia, and Aliya Rahman's lawsuit against ICE over her violent arrest in Minnesota.
Full List of Democrats Who Missed Hegseth Impeachment Vote—and WhyThe New Republic lists the 11 Democrats who missed the vote blocking Thomas Massie's impeachment articles against Pete Hegseth, which Republicans won 211-204, citing stated reasons like Pelosi's travel, Horsford's emergency, and a PAC reception. It also covers growing Senate challenges to Chuck Schumer from Chris Van Hollen and Bernie Sanders, Aliya Rahman's lawsuit over her ICE arrest, and Jared Huffman's planned records-preservation letters.
White House Threatens to Charge Democrats if They InvestigateThe New Republic reports the White House warning Democrats that investigating Donald Trump could cross into criminal territory, while House Republicans blocked Thomas Massie's impeachment articles against Pete Hegseth by a 211-204 vote carried by 11 absent Democrats. It also covers Aliya Rahman's lawsuit over her violent ICE arrest, Chris Van Hollen's challenge to Chuck Schumer's leadership, and Jared Huffman's planned letters demanding agencies preserve Trump project records.
Public Safety for Whom? The Mandate to End ICE’s Terror | Common Dreamscommondreams.org· 4d
A Common Dreams opinion article argues that Tuesday's midterm "blue tsunami" gives Congress a mandate to end ICE's terror, tracing the agency to American policing's anti-Black, anti-immigrant roots and urging that Blue power and Blue privilege be ended. Among its figures: federal bullets have killed at least 24 people including three US citizens, more than 52 have died in immigration detention, and DHS logged a record 50,000-plus ICE arrests in August alone; it also quotes James Baldwin on police autonomy as "close to martial law."
A Haitian 8-year-old was taken by ICE at routine check-in, rattling a San Diego school districtnbcnews.com· 4d
NBC News reports that an 8-year-old Haitian third grader at San Diego's Fay Elementary was taken into custody by ICE at a routine check-in, and that his family does not know where he is being held. School officials and the Haitian Bridge Alliance say his TPS protections were stripped after a Supreme Court decision, while DHS says he was determined to be an unaccompanied minor; Rep. Juan Vargas calls the detention inhumane and wants TPS restored.
Van Hollen Calls Out Schumer for Siding With AIPAC and CryptoThe New Republic reports that Senator Chris Van Hollen is positioning himself against Chuck Schumer's leadership, arguing Schumer and the DSCC sided with the crypto industry and AIPAC, as Bernie Sanders and roughly two dozen other Democratic senators or senators-elect also withhold support. The article also covers Aliya Rahman's lawsuit over her violent ICE arrest in Minneapolis, House Republicans electing Jim Jordan as minority leader, and whistleblower warnings that Trump administration officials are destroying records of his pet projects.
US citizen shot by ICE officer near children’s bus stop sues government for $25mCarlos Jimenez, a US citizen shot by an ICE officer as he stopped near a children's bus stop in southern California, is suing the federal government for $25m after prosecutors dismissed assault charges that his lawsuit calls fabricated. His complaint says officer Eusebio Ortiz fired into his car without warning and that agents later interfered with his hospital care, while a DHS spokesperson called the shots defensive and the justice department said Jimenez chose diversion over trial.
US citizen shot by ICE agent files $25M lawsuitnewsweek.com· 5d
Carlos Jimenez, a U.S. citizen shot by an ICE officer during a Southern California immigration operation, has filed a $25 million lawsuit against the Trump administration, officer Eusebio Ortiz, and other federal and county defendants, alleging excessive force and a prosecution built on fabricated evidence. The Justice Department said prosecutors sought dismissal after he completed diversion, while a DHS spokesperson said Jimenez reversed his vehicle at officers before the shooting.
Texas Led on Hard-Line Immigration Policies. Democrats Plan a Reversal.nytimes.com· 6d
A New York Times report says Texas supplied detention beds, floating river barriers, and miles of concertina wire for hard-line immigration enforcement under Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, and that the Democratic sweep — Gina Hinojosa unseating Abbott, Nathan Johnson succeeding Paxton — is expected to throw that approach into reverse. Hinojosa and Johnson pledge to act as a check on the Trump administration, while Democrats in Congress plan to curb funding for and mount oversight of ICE, though the Times notes prosecuting federal agents under state law is rare and hard.
Dems Have Their Finger on the Impeachment Triggerthebulwark.com· 7d
The Bulwark reports that after the midterms, congressional Democrats are building toward impeaching Trump administration officials: Rep. Robert Garcia told officials to lawyer up and plans investigations of Trump family corruption and ICE and DHS abuses, while Rep. Delia Ramirez is assembling a legal case against cabinet members, including Kristi Noem, whom Trump fired. Sen. Ruben Gallego counsels balancing accountability with Latino voters' border concerns, and a viral Joe Scarborough video about the treatment of Hispanics adds to the pressure.
Democrats plan to widen their probes of fatal ICE shootingsnpr.org· 7d
NPR's Meg Anderson reports that after their November 2026 midterm wins, Democrats plan to use their congressional majority to investigate fatal ICE shootings, including the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis, with subpoenas possible for figures like Tom Homan, Kristi Noem, and Stephen Miller. Lawmakers including Jamie Raskin, Robert Garcia, and Bennie Thompson vow to pursue the probes, while a White House spokesperson calls them sham investigations and law professor Rachel Moran notes limits like the lack of a veto-proof majority.
ICE agents alleged of taking 8-year-old boy into custodyyahoo.com· 7d
A FOX 5 San Diego and KUSI News article reports that San Diego Unified, local unions, and Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera allege ICE took an 8-year-old Haitian boy from City Heights into federal custody after his uncle could not be reached. A DHS spokesperson disputes this, saying the uncle could not prove guardianship and the boy was placed with the Office of Refugee Resettlement; federal data also shows ICE apprehensions of children in the area jumping nearly tenfold.
Democracy Happened!youtube.com· 8d
In a video message to her History Matters audience, Dr. Joanne Freeman celebrates an election that turned Texas blue, removed Susan Collins from Congress, and shifted the House, Senate, and state offices, calling it a loud cry from the majority showing the power of we the people. She ties this to founders who gauged public opinion in taverns, cites ICE's backpedalling in Minneapolis after public objection, and urges viewers to celebrate that democracy worked.
Trump Plans to Accuse Nonprofits of Having Terrorist TiesA New Republic roundup leads with The Wall Street Journal's report that Trump is weighing an executive order branding some nonprofits as having terrorist ties and stripping their nonprofit status, an approach the magazine calls its standby strategy of calling targets terrorists. The post also covers Abdul El-Sayed becoming the first Muslim U.S. senator, deaths of immigrants in ICE detention, Stephen Miller replacing Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, and the U.S. nearing the loss of its measles elimination status.
Democrats are already hiring lawyers to investigate DHSAfter the 2026 election, Democrats are moving to investigate DHS: two Senate job listings seek an anti-corruption counsel and oversight investigators, and the House Homeland Security Committee has demanded the department preserve documents. Mother Jones reports Sen. Maggie Hassan taunted Kristi Noem, "Want to say that under oath?"
Immigration Tactics Motivated Voters, Near and Far From Southern BorderA New York Times report says immigration and the Trump administration's aggressive enforcement tactics — including operations where federal agents killed protesters and civilians — fueled Democratic victories from Minnesota to Texas, where heavily Hispanic counties shifted sharply back toward the party. Voters and analysts called it a referendum on enforcement rather than Democratic policy, while Republicans, split in their reckoning, saw JD Vance fault the Iran war but press the attack on amnesty.
Back in the majority, Democrats have plans for a long list of Trump investigationsNPR's Eric McDaniel reports that after winning the 2026 midterms, Democrats plan an ambitious agenda of investigations into President Trump and his administration using Congress's full subpoena and testimony powers. Planned targets include Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein, his family's business interests, immigration enforcement violence, RFK Jr.'s health department, the U.S.-Iran war, and Elon Musk's DOGE cuts, though NPR expects little major legislation with Trump still in office.
ICE kidnapped and murdered our neighbors. Vote like it.dailykos.com· 10d
Lisa Needham's Daily Kos column urges readers to vote on November 3, 2026, as one way to do right by victims of ICE violence and break the power of the congressional GOP members who funded it. She catalogs alleged ICE killings and abuses — including Renee Good in Minneapolis, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, and the arrest of more than 8,500 children — and notes voters leaving "I voted" stickers at the victims' memorials.
Oregon judge says it's time to hold ICE 'liars' accountable after officer fesses uplawandcrime.com· 11d
U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai ruled in a 50-page Oregon opinion that ICE repeatedly violated a court order barring warrantless arrests, finding an officer lied in an official record to make an arrest seem warrant-based and that facts were fabricated in arrest paperwork. Having withdrawn the usual presumption that officials performed their duties properly, he ordered ICE to turn over a much broader set of arrest records, unredacted material, and body-camera footage, and said live testimony is now necessary to hold liars accountable.
EXCLUSIVE: Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi Named in Explosive ICE Ruling as Judge Exposes Fabricated Arrest Recordsradaronline.com· 11d
A RadarOnline report covers U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai's November 2 ruling that federal immigration authorities repeatedly violated an Oregon injunction restricting warrantless arrests, finding one ICE officer falsified records and gave false testimony. Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi are named as defendants in their official capacities, though the ruling does not accuse either of personally falsifying records.
Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Feb. 15, 2026Face the Nation, moderated by Ed O'Keefe, airs mid-government shutdown with Tom Homan defending ICE against profiling and warrant claims while Hakeem Jeffries demands reforms before funding DHS. It also covers the Epstein files with Robert Garcia alleging a coverup and Wes Moore on immigration, and talks with Senator Thom Tillis from Munich on NATO, tariffs, and blocking Fed confirmations.
Transcript: Tom Homan on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Feb. 15, 2026In a Face the Nation interview, White House border czar Tom Homan defends ICE against Ed O'Keefe's questions about racial profiling, masked agents, and operations whose sworn testimony is under investigation, saying the Minnesota Metro Surge has removed over 1,000 people and will wind down. He disputes a report of friction with Kristi Noem, calls for legislation against doxing agents, and says sanctuary cities should let ICE into their jails.
Into the abyssbeehiiv.com· 42w
A Degenerate Art essay by a historian of concentration camps argues the U.S. under Trump is already deep inside the camp dynamic — mass detentions, secret-police-style agencies, and Nazi-like propaganda — and warns 2026 will be decisive for dismantling the system. Drawing parallels from Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and Chile, the author urges that camps cannot be reformed but must be dismantled, and asks readers to act now within a closing three-to-five-year window.
By Refusing to Show Faces or Badges, ICE Opens Door to Vigilante Impersonatorstruthout.org· 1y
Truthout reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who conceal their faces and identities — some arresting immigrants outside Lower Manhattan courts and detaining citizens like Elzon Lemus and Andrea Velez — have opened the door to impersonators, with alleged cases in South Carolina, Florida, and Philadelphia. Legal experts and Democrats back bills requiring agents to identify themselves, while the Department of Homeland Security says face coverings protect officers and cites a 700 percent rise in assaults.
Brad Lander said ICE agent that arrested him considered Mamdani voteNewsweek reports Brad Lander said an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who participated in his June 17 arrest at 26 Federal Plaza — from which he was released the same day with charges dropped — asked about Zohran Mamdani and was considering ranking him and Lander in the mayoral race, quoting the officer: "What's Mamdani like? He's been to my mosque a couple of times, and I'm thinking of ranking you guys." Lander also described the arrest as "pretty rough" and the agents as immigrants who removed their masks, while Governor Kathy Hochul called the arrest "bull****" and Homeland Security's Tricia McLaughlin defended the officers, citing a 413 percent increase in assaults against them.
