A purported anti-ICE "sob story" that ignited protests and captured the attention of sympathetic media outlets has spectacularly unraveled, revealing a shocking truth: the man at the center of the narrative, Martin Soto, was not "abducted" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while buying diapers but was taken into custody after a violent domestic assault arrest.
For weeks, Gabriela Soto, wife of the 31-year-old Peruvian national, led protests and a highly publicized GoFundMe campaign, claiming her husband was a "loving father, husband, son, church member, worker" unjustly targeted by ICE. Mainstream media, eager for an anti-ICE narrative, amplified her emotional claims without question, fueling weeks of unrest and even violent riots outside the Delaney Hall detention facility.
However, an investigation by The Daily Wire, based on police reports and insider sources, exposes a far more sinister reality behind the carefully constructed public image.
According to a police report obtained by the Oversight Project, Martin Soto "purposely" caused "bodily injury" to an unnamed female victim "specifically by using his hands, both opened and closed to strike" her "in her face, causing minor scratches and cuts to her face and neck." The report further details that Soto allegedly "placed a hand over" the victim's "mouth so she could not scream for help."
Despite these grim facts, Gabriela Soto continued her public charade, spearheading protests in May and June, decrying "inhumane" conditions and even threatening to sue if the "pressure" caused her to miscarry. Her GoFundMe, built on these fabricated premises, has raked in more than $67,000, all while she brazenly asserted, "Martin has committed no harm."
Scott Mechkowski, a visiting fellow for deportation studies at the Oversight Project and former ICE New York field office deputy director, minced no words in exposing the deception. "The public was told a good man was grabbed by ICE while buying diapers," Mechkowski stated. "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."
Mechkowski further highlighted the disturbing pattern: "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."
The timeline further discredits the narrative. Martin Soto illegally crossed the Arizona border in January 2024 and was processed for immediate deportation under expedited removal but was later released after claiming a fear of returning to his home country. Local police in Kearny, New Jersey, arrested Soto on February 1, 2026, for simple assault stemming from the domestic violence incident. ICE officers then swiftly took him into custody the following day from the Hudson County Correctional Center.
Even as the truth emerged, Gabriela Soto escalated her theatrics. During a May protest aimed at blocking ICE vans, she declared her intention "to close Delaney Hall and free every detainee," baselessly claiming her husband was being retaliated against for her activism. Her dramatic account of receiving a call from "prison/jail" after Martin "stepped out to get diapers" painted a picture of an innocent man's sudden disappearance, a story eagerly consumed by a credulous press.
This "diaper dad" fable was just one layer of the deception. The same detention center that Gabriela Soto claimed housed detainees in "inhumane" conditions, suffering from "rotten food" and "medical neglect," was also the site of a supposed "hunger strike" where detainees were caught purchasing upscale commissary items, including sushi and clams. Apparently, starvation requires a certain level of gourmet indulgence.
The persistent effort to undermine America's immigration enforcement with emotionally charged, fact-free narratives continues to be a hallmark of the radical left and their allies in the corporate media. This case serves as a stark reminder: when a narrative sounds too perfectly tragic, it often hides a truth far more inconvenient to those pushing the agenda. Holding those who exploit public sympathy for their own gain accountable is not just about correcting the record; it’s about upholding law and order, protecting American borders, and restoring integrity to public discourse.
