An Egyptian mother and her five children returned to their Colorado home Wednesday after a chaotic week of legal battles with immigration authorities that their attorney characterized as government overreach at its most extreme.
Hayam El Gamal and her children were released from ICE detention on April 23 following a federal judge's order in Texas, only to be re-arrested two days later in a move that prompted emergency legal intervention from Colorado courts.
Attorney Eric Lee accused the Trump administration of "kidnapping" the family. "After being illegally kidnapped by the Trump administration Saturday within hours of being released from Dilley by a federal judge Thursday, Hayam El Gamal and her five wonderful, sweet children are free from detention and in their home," Lee wrote on X.
The family's ordeal began last June when ICE arrested them following accusations that the children's father was involved in an attack on Israeli hostage supporters in Colorado. The father, Mohammed Soliman, whom the family says is estranged from them, was charged with federal hate crimes. The family has consistently maintained they had no knowledge of his alleged actions.
Last week, the Trump administration justified the re-arrest by claiming the family were "associates" to the father's attack. "Under President Trump, DHS will continue to fight for the removal of those who have no right to be in our country, especially terrorists and their associates," said DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis, adding that the administration was "confident the courts will ultimately vindicate us."
The El Gamal family had spent months in the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, a privately-run ICE detention facility, making them among the longest-held residents there. During their detention, El Gamal experienced serious health issues that went unaddressed by immigration officials. She repeatedly requested an emergency hospital visit for a chest growth over a period of weeks before finally being taken to the emergency room. Even after a medical emergency, ICE allegedly refused to authorize further diagnostic tests.
On April 23, a federal judge in Texas ordered their release despite an unsuccessful appeal against a deportation order. When ICE complied, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin celebrated on social media, saying "I'm relieved they are free."
That relief was short-lived. Just two days later, hours after the family arrived back in Colorado on April 25, ICE re-arrested them. The family was rushed onto an airplane headed for Michigan before a Colorado federal judge intervened, ordering ICE to halt the deportation attempt. The plane turned around, and that same day the family was released from custody once again.
The sequence of events reflects a broader pattern of the Trump administration overstepping judicial authority in immigration cases. The El Gamal family's struggle echoes another high-profile incident in which Venezuelan and Salvadoran men were deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador in apparent defiance of court orders.
Author James Rodriguez: "This case shows how quickly judicial orders can crumble when an administration decides they don't like them."
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