Martin Soto released from ICE detention after leading New Jersey facility strike

Martin Soto, a Peruvian immigrant who led a hunger and labor strike at the Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey, has been released from ICE custody following an order from federal judge Jamel Semper. Soto had been detained for eight months.

Judge Semper ordered the release after considering Soto’s mental health concerns, the risk of self-harm, and the conditions of his confinement. The strike, which began in late May involving approximately 300 detainees, was a protest against what participants described as inhumane conditions, including medical neglect, food shortages, and lack of access to potable water.

Legal representatives and family members alleged that Soto spent over 100 days in solitary confinement following the protests. His wife, Gabriella Soto, became a prominent figure in the demonstrations outside the facility. The detention center is operated by the private firm GEO Group.