A federal judge, appointed by the Biden administration, has issued an emergency ruling in Colorado regarding Mohamed Soliman, an Egyptian national under investigation for a firebombing incident in Boulder. This ruling grants temporary protection to Soliman’s wife, Heyem El Gamal, and their five children by preventing federal immigration officials from deporting them for the time being.
US District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher stated that El Gamal and her children cannot be removed from Colorado or the United States while this legal matter is pending. The judge’s order will remain active until a hearing is scheduled for June 13.
This decision follows an appeal from El Gamal’s friend, Susanna Dvortsin, who sought urgent legal protection for the family. Dvortsin expressed concerns that the family could be deported without the chance to state their case in court, which Gallagher found compelling, describing potential deportation as causing “irreparable harm.” Government lawyers have been instructed to respond by June 6.
While both El Gamal and her children are currently in the US on visas, Soliman’s asylum application was also submitted prior to this situation developing. The pressing issue revolves around whether the deportation process should continue despite the family’s pending asylum claim.
Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem addressed El Gamal’s family’s situation in a recent video, confirming that they had been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Noem emphasized the seriousness of Soliman’s actions, asserting that an investigation is underway to ascertain whether his family had any prior knowledge of his activities.
The firebombing incident has ignited significant political debate, particularly among Republican lawmakers who are criticizing immigration policies in place under the Biden administration. They claim that such policies may have contributed to a failure of enforcement that led to the attack. In contrast, a spokesperson for Colorado Governor Jared Polis’s office indicated that there was no prior notification from federal authorities about Soliman, which raises concerns regarding communication and enforcement practices.
Moreover, some Colorado Democrats have faced backlash for attending a fundraiser shortly after the incident, given the historical controversies surrounding some attendees and their comments about Israel.
