A federal judge in Colorado has temporarily blocked the deportation of Hayem El Gamal and her five children, the wife and children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the Egyptian man accused of firebombing a pro-Israel event in Boulder. Soliman entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2022 and later applied for asylum. His family also entered on tourist visas and were included in his asylum application. El Gamal had separately applied for a work visa. ICE arrested the family for removal, prompting their lawyers to file a lawsuit arguing the family should not be punished for Soliman’s alleged actions. The judge ruled deporting them now could cause “irreparable harm” and set a hearing for next week. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the agency is investigating whether the family had prior knowledge of the attack.
It is this type of liberal lawfare that has made the country less safe. In the weeks leading up to the Boulder firebombing, Colorado lawmakers passed Senate Bill 276, a controversial measure that restricts state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Signed into law on May 23, 2025, the bill effectively shields undocumented immigrants from ICE by prohibiting state agencies from assisting in enforcement or sharing key information.
All 22 Republican members of the Colorado House opposed the bill, warning it would endanger public safety and burden taxpayers with the over $500 million already spent on services for illegal immigrants. A Republican amendment that would have repealed the law if found to violate federal statutes was rejected along party lines. The bill’s sponsor, Democrat Lorena Garcia, further provoked outrage by wearing a “Globalize the Intifada” pin on the House floor.
Representative Scott Bottoms issued a grim warning that rapes, assaults, and murders would increase under such policies until the federal government was forced to intervene. The Boulder attack has now put these warnings into stark relief, forcing the public to ask whether sanctuary-style policies are endangering the very communities they claim to protect.
This case also highlights the broader legal framework that governs immigration consequences for the relatives of terror suspects. Under U.S. immigration law, Soliman’s wife and children could be deported not only for lacking legal status but also under provisions that bar the family members of individuals involved in terrorism. Section 212(a)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)—expanded by the USA PATRIOT Act and reinforced by the REAL ID Act—makes the spouse and children of a terrorist inadmissible to the United States for up to five years from the date of the last known terrorist act, unless they can prove they had no knowledge of the activity.
These laws, enforced by the Department of Homeland Security, allow for the removal of not only those directly involved in terrorism but also close relatives, even in the absence of criminal charges. DHS further exercises this authority through mechanisms such as the Terrorist Screening Database and the Controlled Application Review and Resolution Program (CARRP), which are used to exclude or deport individuals deemed national security threats due to their associations.
These provisions are generally enforced in cases where there is evidence that family members knew about or assisted with the terrorism-related actions. In the Boulder case, authorities are investigating whether Soliman’s family had any prior knowledge or involvement in the attack. So far, no charges have been filed against them, and a federal judge has temporarily halted their deportation to ensure their constitutional rights are protected during the investigation.
However, the case for deportation appears straightforward given that the family has likely already lost their legal residency. Mohamed Soliman’s wife and children entered the U.S. as his dependents on F-2 visas, which are directly tied to the validity of his F-1 student visa. Once his visa expired or was violated, their legal status would have automatically lapsed as well—unless they took independent steps to adjust their immigration status, obtain a new visa, or depart the country before falling out of status. In the absence of such action, they are now almost certainly unlawfully present and therefore subject to removal under U.S. immigration law.
A court hearing is scheduled for June 13 to determine the family’s fate and whether any further legal actions will be taken. It is unconscionable, however, that anyone would work to keep this family in the country. The wife of deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Ábrego García has a GoFundMe page, she is has allegedly raised over $160,000. Imagine how much Mohamed Sabry Soliman’s wife could get, especially given the antisemitism of the left. She will be inundated with donations and with invitations to speak at events, on TV shows, podcasts…
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