A federal judge appointed by President Joe Biden has blocked the immediate deportation of the wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman — the suspect accused of launching a Molotov cocktail attack on a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado. The ruling, issued Wednesday, halts any removal actions for the family amid ongoing investigations and intensifying political scrutiny.
U.S. District Judge Gordon Gallagher issued the emergency injunction, preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from deporting Hayam Salah Alsaid Ahmed Elgamal, 41, and her five children — one adult daughter and four minors — unless the order is overturned by either his court or the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. The move effectively grants the family temporary protection while deeper legal and investigative processes play out.
Judge Gallagher emphasized the extraordinary urgency of the situation in his ruling, citing the need to avoid potential irreparable harm and ensure due process. The family's legal status had been tenuous ever since they overstayed their initial visa expiration in February 2023, following their 2022 entry into the U.S. from Egypt.
The decision follows the detention of Soliman’s family earlier this week, after Soliman allegedly carried out a violent attack targeting pro-Israel demonstrators.
Armed with homemade incendiary devices, Soliman reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” and “End Zionists” before throwing Molotov cocktails into the crowd. The attack left 15 people injured, several with serious burns and trauma.
Soliman was apprehended at the scene without resistance and now faces a barrage of state and federal charges, including:
- 16 counts of attempted murder
- 18 counts related to the possession and use of incendiary devices
- Federal hate crime charges, carrying the potential of life in prison
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty noted that the attempted murder charges alone could amount to a sentence of up to 384 years.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has confirmed that ICE is investigating whether Soliman’s wife and children had any knowledge or involvement in the planning or execution of the attack. While no charges have been filed against them, their immigration status — tied to Soliman’s pending asylum application — is now under additional scrutiny.