DELANEY: DETAINING THE AMERICAN DREAM

Hey Gritty Kitties. Welcome to another episode of CATTY CHATS. Where we speak to people trying to make things suck less in new and interesting ways. This week we're speaking to immigrant & civil rights activist, wife, mother & fellow Jersey girl, GABY SOTO. Gaby was at the heart of the advocacy for detainees at Delaney Hall in Newark NJ weeks and months before the hunger & labor strike and accompanying support by outside advocates left a peak around Memorial Day weekend 2026. She started just trying to get a hearing & release for her husband, Martin, who was held despite no prior criminal record and being in the immigration process. We wanted to do a long form interview to hear in more detail the story of her and her family, the community that helped her and that she helped right back and where do we go now that the noise has settled down. Their story reflects so many others, including how the cruelty is the point, the coercion and violation of laws and rights used to try to get people with a right to be here to give up, the insane profit taking off the backs of detainees required to work for often as little as a dollar a day, and so many other injustices. We also discuss the disappointments she encountered working with some elected officials, how they protected ICE and not protestors, citizens and families and so much more. Most importantly, we discuss where we go from here. And yet, she has so much hope - and even joy and motivation to help others. This is really the perfect story to hear and questions to reflect upon as we head into the 250th anniversary of the United States. HELP DETAINEES & SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW JERSEY: COSECHA NJ Detention Center Commissary and Communication Fund FOODFORNJ.ORG SOMA Mutual Aid Collective Grocery Cards Gov Sherrill & Sens Kim & Booker Contacts HELP GABY & THE SOTO FAMILY DIRECTLY WITH LEGAL FIGHTS & EXPENSES Petition to allow Martin Soto to await his further immigration process outside detention Gaby's Venmo for expenses: @gabrielasoto-ve Vote for their daughter for Toddler of the Year