Judge Blocks Deportation of Boulder Firebombing Suspect’s Family/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A U.S. judge halted the deportation of a Boulder bombing suspect’s Egyptian family. The decision came after immigration authorities detained the wife and five children. Civil rights attorneys argue punishing the family violates basic constitutional protections.
Judge Stops Deportation of Boulder Attack Suspect’s Family: Quick Looks
- Ruling Issued: A federal judge halted deportation of Mohamed Soliman’s wife and five children.
- Legal Argument: Attorneys say the family cannot be punished for the suspect’s alleged actions.
- Immigration Custody: The family was detained by ICE in Texas following Soliman’s arrest.
- Federal Charges: Soliman faces hate crime and attempted murder charges for a Molotov attack.
- Suspect’s Confession: Authorities say Soliman admitted to targeting pro-Israel demonstrators.
- Vigil Held: Victims and community members gathered to remember the attack and pray.
- Victims Increase: Number of injured raised to 15 people and a dog.
- Attack Details: Soliman threw two Molotov cocktails, yelling “Free Palestine.”
- Immigration Status: Soliman overstayed a tourist visa; wife has pending work visa.
- DHS Response: Officials say the family’s removal is lawful; judge disagrees for now.
Deep Look: Judge Halts Deportation of Family Linked to Boulder Firebombing Suspect
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A U.S. federal judge ordered an immediate halt to the deportation of the wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the Egyptian man charged with federal hate crimes and attempted murder in a violent firebombing attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado.
Judge Gordon P. Gallagher issued the ruling on Wednesday, citing the need to protect the constitutional rights of the family, who were detained by immigration officials on Tuesday. The family’s legal team argued that punishing them for Soliman’s alleged crimes was “patently unlawful.”
The court’s decision comes amid heightened national scrutiny of immigration enforcement, freedom of speech, and the line between individual criminal responsibility and collective punishment.
The Attack That Sparked the Controversy
On Sunday, Soliman, 45, allegedly hurled two Molotov cocktails at a crowd participating in a vigil for Israeli hostages in Gaza. Witnesses described a terrifying scene of fire and chaos. One woman was seen “engulfed in flames from head to toe,” according to attendee Rachelle Halpern, who has walked with the group since 2023.
Another victim, speaking anonymously during a Wednesday vigil at Boulder’s Jewish Community Center, recounted, “I heard a loud noise, the back of my legs burning… Even as I was watching it unfold before my eyes, it didn’t seem real.”
Soliman confessed to planning the attack for over a year and admitted to intending to kill all 20 participants in the Pearl Street Mall demonstration. However, police said he became frightened and only used two of the 18 firebombs he had prepared.
Authorities say Soliman shouted “Free Palestine” during the attack and expressed a desire “to kill all Zionist people,” according to FBI affidavits.
The Family’s Legal Fight and Immigration Status
Soliman’s wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their five children — all Egyptian nationals — were taken into custody and held at an ICE detention facility in Texas. El Gamal is a network engineer with a pending EB-2 visa, typically reserved for highly skilled professionals. The family was listed as dependents on Soliman’s asylum application, filed after entering the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2022.
“Punishing a four-year-old child for the alleged actions of a parent — who remains innocent until proven guilty — should alarm every American,” said Eric Lee, the family’s attorney.
In court filings, El Gamal said she was “shocked” by her husband’s arrest and had no prior knowledge of his plans. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, however, defended the family’s detention, saying the department was investigating their potential involvement or knowledge of the attack.
DHS official Tricia McLaughlin called the family’s lawsuit an “absurd attempt to delay justice” and stated that “just like her criminal husband, she and her children are here illegally.”
Victims Rise to 15 as Community Mourns
Officials increased the number of victims to 15 people and a dog, with victims ranging from age 25 to 88. The attack took place at the beginning of Shavuot, a Jewish holiday, and has intensified national fears of rising antisemitic violence in the U.S.
Three local journalists were also killed in a separate Israeli airstrike the same day in Gaza, adding to heightened emotions within the Jewish and broader Middle Eastern diaspora communities.
Soliman’s Background and Asylum Status
According to DHS, Soliman overstayed a tourist visa granted in August 2022. He filed for asylum a month later and received work authorization in March 2023, which has since expired. He had previously lived in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to Colorado Springs.
Court documents reveal Soliman had no criminal record in the U.S., and the extent of his radicalization or motivation remains under investigation.
He is currently held in county jail under a $10 million cash bond and is due in state court on Thursday. Public defenders representing Soliman declined to comment, citing policy against speaking to the media.
Broader Implications and Political Backlash
The Boulder firebombing has sparked renewed debate about immigration enforcement, visa overstays, and family accountability in the wake of terrorism-linked arrests.
In Washington, Republican officials argue that such attacks justify a hardline immigration crackdown, while civil rights groups warn of due process violations and xenophobic overreach.
Immigration rights advocates see the judge’s ruling as a critical step in ensuring families are not penalized without individual evidence or cause.
“This ruling confirms that our legal system still protects the innocent — including those who happen to be related to the accused,” said Karen Day, a legal scholar at the ACLU.
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