Full Breakdown
Release and Re-Detention of the El Gamal Family
4/27/2026, 9:32:46 PM
Core Event
On April 23 2026 District Judge Fred Biery ordered the release of Hayam El Gamal and her five children after ten months of ICE detention that began in June 2025 following the arrest of her ex-husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, on hate-crime and attempted-murder charges for a fire-bomb attack on a rally in Boulder, Colorado. Two days after the family complied with a required check-in in Denver, ICE placed them on a flight toward Detroit, prompting emergency orders that halted the deportation.
Timeline
- June 2025: Soliman arrested; El Gamal family detained.
- Dec 29 2025: DHS issues final removal order.
- Apr 23 2026: Judge Biery orders release from Dilley.
- Apr 25-26 2026: Family re-detained in Denver; emergency orders stop removal.
Data & Statistics
The family spent 324 days at the South Texas Family Residential Center—the longest family detention under the Trump administration—while the children, ages 5, 5, 9, 16 and 18, watched the Boulder attack injure at least 13 people, kill an 82-year-old woman, and result in Soliman facing over 100 criminal counts.
Why It Matters
The case illustrates the clash between immigration enforcement, judicial oversight and due-process rights, especially for detained children. It also highlights political rhetoric labeling judges “activist” and raises separation-of-powers concerns.
Official Statements & Responses
The Department of Homeland Security said the family “received full due process” and cited a final removal order dated Dec 29 2025. DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis called Soliman “a terrorist responsible for an anti-Semitic firebombing” and said the agency would continue to fight for the removal of national-security threats.
Criticism & Opposition
El Gamal’s attorneys called the re-detention “kidnapping” and a breach of the court order. Senator Dick Durbin warned the actions reflected bias against Arab-Muslim immigrants. Advocacy groups called the detention illegal and cruel for a family with no charges. Habiba Soliman, 18, told NPR she felt “completely broken,” and show El Gamal needed emergency care for fluid around the heart.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
DHS says the family received medical care and due process, while the lawyers allege neglect, deteriorating health and denial of basic services. DHS cites a final removal order; the family’s counsel notes no criminal charges against the mother or children. The extent of the family’s knowledge of Soliman’s plans remains disputed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I'm afraid to let them out of my sight,” — Chris Godshall-Bennett, attorney
- “They were treated like animals.” — Chris Godshall-Bennett, attorney
- “We are confident the courts will ultimately ?vindicate us,” — Lauren Bis, DHS spokesperson
- “The attempt to remove the El Gamal family is in violation of a federal court order and must be halted immediately,” — El Gamal family attorneys
What's Next
The family’s lawyers have filed additional emergency motions in the Western District of Texas and the Fifth Circuit to block future removal. ICE monitoring will continue while the pending asylum and removal proceedings are resolved.
