Gloria Soto calls the detention brutality and asks for an independent investigation
Gloria SotoSanta Maria city councilmember, quoted by the Santa Barbara Independent
Santa Maria Councilmember Gloria Soto says ICE's own statement admits agents stopped the wrong person, that the student ended up in surgery, and that the treatment he received was brutality. She calls for an independent investigation.
Responding to
Claims that the student suffered broken bones are false, and he never requested medical assistance.
“This kind of brutality is not okay. There needs to be an independent investigation into how a case of mistaken identity ended with a student hurt this badly.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
ICE detains a U.S.-citizen student with disabilities near Santa Maria High School; ICE says he resisted and disputes reports of broken bones
On October 21, 2026, ICE agents detained Erik Zepeda, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen and Santa Maria High School student with disabilities, as he walked to school, then released him. His former teacher says his wrist was broken in three places and needed surgery. ICE says agents believed he matched the description of their target, that he resisted and took a fighting stance, and that claims of broken bones are false. Rep. Salud Carbajal and Councilmember Gloria Soto call for an investigation.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Santa Barbara Independent report on the detention, citing the 805 Rapid Response Network, Superintendent Antonio Garcia's message to families, the ICE statement given to the Los Angeles Times, and comments from Santa Maria Councilmember Gloria Soto.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Soto says ICE's own statement admits agents stopped the wrong person, that a student walking to school ended up in surgery, and that saying he never requested medical assistance does not change the fact that he was hurt. She adds that reports say he had his ID with him and was never asked for it.
After the quotation
The Independent reports that Soto called the incident the latest in two years of increasingly aggressive enforcement operations on the Central Coast.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is ICE agents' October 21 detention of Erik Zepeda, a U.S.-citizen student with disabilities, and the force used on him. Soto calls the agents' treatment of the student brutality and asks for an independent investigation.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
More from this case
Read the full caseSalud Carbajal calls the ICE detention of a Santa Maria student outrageous
“This is outrageous and we should not tolerate these tactics. Our schools must remain safe places for students and families, free from fear, intimidation, and racial profiling.”Read statement
ICE says agents used their training to control the student until they could confirm his identity
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
“When the individual resisted officers, refused lawful commands, and assumed a fighting stance with clenched fists, they relied on their training to safely control the situation until they could confirm his identity, whereupon he was released.”Read statement
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- Gloria Soto calls the detention brutality and asks for an independent investigation
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The Dispute Index. "Gloria Soto calls the detention brutality and asks for an independent investigation". First published: 2026-11-01. Last updated: 2026-11-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/7723-santa-maria-councilmember-gloria-soto-says-ice-s