Judge Greenlights Deportation of Boulder Firebomber’s Family
As justice moves forward against Soliman, his family’s deportation signals the broader consequences facing those linked to terror suspects.
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A federal judge in Texas has cleared the way for the deportation of the family of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national accused of a June 1, 2025, firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado, targeting a solidarity walk for Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
The attack, labeled an antisemitic terror act by the FBI, injured 15 people, including an 82-year-old woman, Karen Diamond, who later died, prompting additional first-degree murder charges against Soliman. He faces 12 federal hate crime charges and over 180 state charges, including attempted murder, after throwing Molotov cocktails and yelling “Free Palestine” during the assault.
Yesterday (Wednesday), Judge Orlando Garcia of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas dismissed a legal challenge by Soliman’s wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their five children, ruling that the court lacked jurisdiction to block their deportation.
The family, Egyptian citizens who overstayed their visas after entering the U.S. in August 2022, had been detained by ICE on June 3, 2025. A previous temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by Judge Gordon P. Gallagher in Colorado on June 4, 2025, had halted their deportation, citing potential “irreparable harm” without due process. That TRO was extended on June 18, but Garcia’s ruling overturned it, stating the family was subject to standard removal proceedings, not expedited ones, rendering their lawsuit moot.
Confusion arose from White House X posts claiming the family faced “expedited removal” and could be deported “as early as tonight,” which Garcia noted contributed to the legal misunderstanding. The family, held at a detention center in Dilley, Texas, argued their detention violated due process, claiming it was punishment for Soliman’s actions. However, Garcia emphasized that they could still seek relief through an immigration judge in ongoing proceedings, with a hearing scheduled for next week (July 11, 2025).
Soliman, who lived in Colorado Springs after 17 years in Kuwait, reportedly planned the attack for a year, intending to kill all participants in the “Run for Their Lives” demonstration. Court documents reveal he applied for asylum in September 2022, listing his family as dependents, but their visas expired in February 2023. His wife, a network engineer with a pending EB-2 visa application, and their children, including a 17-year-old daughter recently awarded a scholarship, have not been charged in the attack. El Gamal expressed shock at her husband’s actions, stating the family cooperated with authorities.