Families Start School Year While ICE Holds Parents in Detention

In early February, ICE agents arrested Martín Soto en route to purchase diapers for his infant son, subsequently moving him to solitary confinement at the Elizabeth Detention Center after he organized a hunger and labor strike at a GEO Group facility in Newark. His wife, Gabriela, has lost her cleaning job and relies on donations to cover rent and basic needs as their daughter prepares for her first school day. Similar detentions have occurred across the region, notably a raid on school bus stops in Danbury, Connecticut, prompting widespread protests and condemnation from Senator Chris Murphy.

Organizations like the Mami Chelo Foundation operate a Radical Hospitality Zone near Delaney Hall, distributing groceries, backpacks and other essentials to families with loved ones in ICE custody. Volunteers from Saint Anastasia’s Parish and other community groups also contribute clothing and supplies. Families such as Esperanza’s, whose breadwinner has been detained for months, report severe anxiety, financial hardship, and limited access to medical care for detained relatives.