Full Breakdown
Longest Family Detention Ends with Judge-Ordered Release
4/24/2026, 12:21:56 PM
Judge-Ordered Release Ends Longest Family Detention
On 23 April 2025 U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered the immediate release of Hayam El Gamal and her five children, ending a detention that began in June 2024 and lasted more than ten months—the longest family ICE detention recorded during President Donald Trump’s administration.
Background: Boulder Fire-Bomb Attack and Detention
The detention followed a June 2025 fire-bomb attack at a Boulder, Colorado gathering commemorating Israeli hostages, which injured an 82-year-old woman who later died. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the ex-husband of Hayam El Gamal, was charged in connection with the attack. Authorities placed El Gamal and her children—aged 5 to 18—into federal custody in June 2024, citing concerns that the family might have known about the plot.
Data & Statistics
Detention length: >10 months, the longest family case under Trump. Children: five (ages 5-18). Ankle monitors required for the mother and eldest child, Habiba Soliman (18). Since Trump’s 2021 return to office, 47 deaths have been recorded in ICE custody.
Official Statements & Responses
The Department of Homeland Security condemned the release, calling Judge Biery an “activist judge” and saying the order “released this terrorist’s family onto American streets.” ICE said it was still investigating the extent of the family’s knowledge of the Boulder attack. The judge’s order cited constitutional concerns about prolonged detention without trial. El Gamal’s lawyer, Eric Lee, argued the family had no advance warning of the plot and that health conditions deteriorated, noting an emergency ER visit for the mother that revealed fluid around her heart.
Criticism & Opposition
Human-rights groups have repeatedly described ICE facilities as inhumane and cite the El Gamal case as evidence of systemic neglect. The family’s counsel says all five children suffered depression, while DHS maintains the family received appropriate medical care and due process. Rights advocates link the case to broader condemnation of Trump’s immigration crackdown, which they argue violates due-process and free-speech rights and creates an unsafe environment for minorities.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The legal team claims the family was denied adequate medical care, whereas DHS asserts care was provided. The counsel reports depression in all children; DHS offers no comment on mental health. Federal investigators continue probing the family’s possible awareness of the Boulder plot, but no definitive findings have been released.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The El Gamal family is free,” — Eric Lee, attorney
- “activist judge” … “releasing this terrorist’s family onto American streets.” — Department of Homeland Security spokesperson
- “began experiencing excruciating pain” — Eric Lee, describing El Gamal’s ER visit
- “fluid around the heart.” — Eric Lee, summarizing CT-scan results
Outlook: Monitoring and Policy Implications
El Gamal and her eldest child will remain under ankle-monitor supervision. Federal investigators are still assessing any possible link to the Boulder attack. The case has revived scrutiny of ICE detention practices and may shape future judicial review of prolonged family detentions under U.S. immigration law.
