A federal judge appointed by President Biden has halted the deportation of the wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the Egyptian national accused of carrying out a violent antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado.
The family’s removal from the country was stopped by US District Court Judge Gordon Gallagher, who ordered that Soliman’s wife, Hayam Salah Alsaid Ahmed Elgamal, and their children must remain in the United States until further court proceedings.
President Joe Biden nominated Gordon P. Gallagher to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado on September 6, 2022, according to ColoradoPolitics.
The decision has sparked outrage among those who believe illegal immigrants who break the law should be swiftly deported. Soliman, who overstayed his tourist visa by more than two years, is accused of targeting a pro-Israel group in a brutal firebomb attack that injured twelve people. The homemade flamethrower attack shocked the Boulder community and left eight victims hospitalized.
Soliman’s family came to the US from Kuwait in August 2022 and was only authorized to stay until February 2023. Soliman applied for asylum and work authorization in September 2022, but his work permit expired in March of this year. The family’s visas were no longer valid when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained them in Texas. Federal officials said they intended to remove the family through expedited deportation.
Despite these facts, Judge Gallagher ruled that the deportation must be paused to avoid “irreparable harm” to the family. A hearing on the temporary restraining order that was filed by the family is scheduled for June 13.
Soliman himself is facing federal hate crime charges and 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder. He is accused of spraying members of a group called Run For Their Lives with gasoline and hurling Molotov cocktails during the attack. Witnesses said he shouted “Free Palestine!” while using a garden hose as a makeshift flamethrower. He also stripped down to his bare chest after accidentally setting himself on fire.
Federal investigators found more than a dozen homemade incendiary devices in Soliman’s vehicle after the attack. Authorities say the suspect admitted he waited until his daughter’s high school graduation to go through with his plan, leaving handwritten notes for his family in a desk drawer before he left.
The Department of Homeland Security has launched an investigation into whether Soliman’s family knew about his terror plot or provided any support. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said they are determined to find out how deep the family’s knowledge or involvement may have gone.
Soliman entered the country legally on a tourist visa, but once that expired, he continued living here illegally. Many believe it is unacceptable for a federal judge to block the removal of the family of a suspected terrorist, especially given the violent and hateful nature of Soliman’s alleged crimes.
This case underscores the broader concerns many Americans have about lax immigration enforcement, in addition to unelected judges doing what some Americans believe isn’t in their best interest.
