A widely shared story about a man detained by ICE, which sparked a hunger strike at Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey, has been thoroughly discredited, revealing a more troubling truth.
Initial reports from various outlets claimed that Martin Soto, a 31-year-old Peruvian national, was apprehended by ICE agents on February 1 while purchasing diapers for his child. These claims originated from his wife, Gabriela Soto.
In May, Gabriela Soto led a hunger strike, citing alleged mistreatment at the Newark facility, including claims of meals tainted with worms and mold, exposure to gas fumes, insufficient sanitation, and inadequate medical care.
She divulged to NJ.com her ultimate aim was to secure her husband’s release along with other detainees. She expressed her frustration, stating, “If I have a miscarriage because of this pressure, I will sue them. I am tired of them controlling the situation. He is in that van. I saw him resisting to get in the van; they forced him in there, two big a** guards. He was handcuffed. They were trying to move him.”
The protest expanded into broader demonstrations against ICE’s methods and the Trump Administration’s deportation policies. Gabriela Soto also established a GoFundMe campaign to support her family during her husband’s detention.
However, The Daily Wire’s Jennie Taer has unveiled that Gabriela Soto’s narrative was misleading. The true reason for Martin Soto’s detention is far more serious: he was arrested for a violent domestic assault against another woman.
According to The Daily Wire, Martin Soto allegedly caused bodily harm to an unnamed female victim by striking her in the face, resulting in scratches and cuts, as detailed in a police report shared with The Daily Wire. He also reportedly covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming for assistance.
Scott Mechkowski, a visiting fellow for deportation studies at the Oversight Project, explained to Taer, “The public was told a good man was grabbed by ICE while buying diapers. The record says he was arrested by Kearny police, handed to Hudson County, taken into ICE custody, and detained at Delaney Hall while charged with assaulting the very woman who then made him a headline.”
He continued, “This is the pattern: a sympathetic claim built to go viral, while the facts sit unread in a file. Delaney Hall was inspected and cleared, its officers branded jailers of the innocent on stories that collapse the moment you check the record. This is one example; there are many.”
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