Deaths in ICE Custody Skyrocket: 2026 Toll Reaches 17, on Average One a Week As the Trump administration continues to rapidly expand its immigration jail system across the United States, we look at the rising death toll of people in ICE custody, the highest in over two decades...

At least 17 people have died in ICE custody since January.

Today, I had the honor of being sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives — a moment I don’t take lightly.

To the people of NJ-11, thank you.

Photograph of immigrant detainee on video call with his attorney, his right eye is bruised and black.

New filing in @aclu.org @aclufl.bsky.social @aijustice.bsky.social access to counsel lawsuit describes “Alligator Alcatraz” guards beating immigrant detainees and turning off all phones in the facility
www.aclu.org/cases/c-m-v-...

handout photo of Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, wearing a white button down, with flowers behind him.

ICE pulled over a man in Patterson, CA + shot him 6 times, hitting his face. ICE now says he is part of a gang in LA – a city he has no connection to.

Carlos Mendoza Hernandez, 36, now in ICU, says he's "never ever been in a gang" + was shot without justification www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Boston could face immediate consequences if TPS ends for Haitians, officials warn - The Boston Globe The city is home to 3,700 TPS-protected Haitians, who are a major part of the workforce, city councilors said Thursday.

Our Haitian neighbors are deeply rooted in our communities and essential to our economy.

And terminating TPS for Haiti would be devastating & destabilizing, especially in Boston.

That's why we're fighting hard to extend Haiti TPS and we're closer than ever to getting it done.

The warehousing of human beings is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes.

Trump’s regime is actively scouting, purchasing, and planning to convert 23 warehouses nationwide into new detention and processing facilities. This would massively expand ICE’s capacity for detentions.

How Trump Purged Immigration Judges to Speed Up Deportations

"Shuting Chen, an immigration judge fired last November, said the administration wanted judges to act as “puppets for the administration with a singular goal of deporting as many people as possible as quickly as possible.”"

www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/u...

And as @carlygoodman.bsky.social and @asgvisalaw.bsky.social point out, “maybe not” was implied and the people who want to shut out now are the same people who would’ve supported shutting out then— for the same reasons.

How Trump Purged Immigration Judges to Speed Up Deportations

I have written abt invoking the Holocaust to shut asylum seekers out. Nothing makes madder.

“In a whistle-blower letter, one fired judge quoted an official on the standard for asylum: “Maybe if you were Jewish and escaping Nazi Germany in 1943, you should get it.”

www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/u...

Refugees Arrive in United States Under Court Order

NEW: Refugees are challenging the Trump admin's discriminatory preference for Afrikaners in court

“USRAP has been transformed into a discriminatory entity serving a 95% white population at the expense of refugees who have waited years for the chance to safely resettle in the United States."

A graphic with the text “VOTE EARLY, VOTE ANALILIA” and “VOTE EARLY: APRIL 6 - APRIL 14”

🚨IT’S EARLY VOTE O’CLOCK 🚨! Cast your ballot early by April 14th to help drive this race across the finish line.

Already voted? There’s still time to help! We need all hands on deck to win this race. Donate or sign up to volunteer at analiliafornj.com ⬅️

An "ACT NOW" style graphic urges action against a Trump administration rule impacting immigrants' rights regarding due process and a court hearing.

LAST PUSH 📢: The Trump administration is trying to fast-track deportations while denying people due process and their day in court.

TAKE ACTION | Submit a public comment before April 8 and speak out to protect due process: https://immigrantjustice.org/ProtectDueProcess

3-year-old immigrant suffered alleged sexual abuse during months in federal custody, family says An immigrant family is grappling with the ordeal suffered by a 3-year-old girl who endured alleged sexual abuse while her father fought for five months for her release from federal custody.

NEW: An immigrant dad waited 5 mts for a fingerprinting appt required to reunite with his daughter.

In that time, the toddler was sexually abused in government care.

“I just think that if they would have moved faster, nothing like that would have happened,” the dad said.
apnews.com/article/immi...

TODAY is the start of early voting in the special election for NJ’s 11th Congressional District. I’m asking you to vote for Analilia Mejia, a proven fighter who is stepping up to protect NJ from Trump’s chaos.

Vote early for Analilia now through 4/14 and on Election Day 4/16!

Freed from ICE Jail, Leqaa Kordia Likens Yearlong Detention to Israel’s Treatment of Palestinians Pt. 2 of our conversation with Palestinian activist Leqaa Kordia, who was freed on March 16 after spending more than a year in an ICE jail in Texas. She was arrested in 2025 as part of the Trump admi...

Activist Leqaa Kordia speaks at length about her yearlong detention in an ICE jail: "Everybody has the right to speak up, everybody has the right to protest but Palestinians."

Early voting for the Apr. 16 special general starts TOMORROW! 🗳️ Skip the line and get your ballot in early between Apr. 6 and Apr. 14!

Visit vote.nj.gov for more information and make sure to VOTE!

I toured the White House a few years ago and was moved that I was doing so as part of an Immigration Leadership Hub Cohort. We belong here and the 14th Amendment of United States Constitution says so. 3/3

White washing the United States will not make America great. The United States has been great for quite the opposite.
2/3

I was the first person in my family to be a United States Citizen.

My father loves telling the story about how my birth in the United States made such a powerful impact for our family. 1/3

We are honored to be a @shortyawards.bsky.social finalist for our work to defend due process and keep families together. This work exposed cruel enforcement practices, helped people understand their rights, and encouraged our audiences to take action.

💗 At ImmDef, our attorneys don’t just represent children, they stand beside them with compassion, courage, and unwavering hope.

They ensure young people in the immigration system are heard, protected, and fiercely defended.

Support our work 💙 www.immdef.org/support

After being wrongfully deported without due process, our client "Daniel" is finally home. Daniel has a developmental disability and was deported less than 10 days after his arrest during the L.A. raids.

ImmDef and pro bono partners fought to bring him back & today he’s reunited with his family!

ImmDef proudly joined 50+ immigrant rights orgs filing an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court defending birthright citizenship.

For more than a century, the 14th Amendment has guaranteed citizenship to children born in the U.S., regardless of their parents’ status.

My opponent backed the “Big, Ugly Law” — the same law that kicked 350,000 New Jersey residents off their healthcare and drove energy costs up.

On top of that, tariffs are pushing housing costs higher and making life more expensive.

We must end the MAGA affordability crisis!

At my immigration hearing, Marion Donovan-Kaloust detailed her experience working with unaccompanied children and the horrors they’ve seen under Trump.

No child should have to go through this cruelty. It must end now.

Home - Voice of Witness Voice of Witness is an oral history nonprofit that advances human rights by amplifying the stories of people impacted by—and fighting against—injustice.

Learn more about our work here: voiceofwitness.org

Reach out to collaborate!

Hi! 👋 VOW is an oral history nonprofit illuminating human rights issues through community storytelling projects and an innovative education program.

We support folks with oral history and ethical storytelling practices through our trainings, resources, and partnerships.

Glad to be here with you.

Taking a few days off this week from work after some powerful advocacy days in DC last week fighting for #asylum rights and #immigrant #childrensrights.

Appreciate having the time to take off from work to spend time with my family and read this insightful book.

Today, I was notified of another death that occurred in ICE custody, bringing the total to 45 deaths under the second Trump administration.

These are not just numbers, they’re people. It’s devastating and we can’t let it continue. We need accountability & we must dismantle ICE.

Our movement for immigrant justice grows stronger every day. 💪

From community events to legal victories, our team continues to defend and uplift immigrant communities with compassion and commitment.

Here’s what we’ve been up to. Go team #ImmDef 💪