A mother and her five children walked free Thursday after spending more than 10 months in federal immigration detention, setting a record for the longest family detention period during President Trump’s current term in office.
Federal Judge Fred Biery from the Western District of Texas issued the release order Thursday for Hayam El Gamal and her children, who range in age from 5 to 18 years old.
The family was placed in federal custody last June following a firebombing incident in Boulder, Colorado, where El Gamal’s former husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, faces charges. The attack targeted an event honoring Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and resulted in injuries to an 82-year-old woman who later died from her wounds.
“The El Gamal family is free,” declared Eric Lee, the attorney representing the family during their detention in Texas.
As part of their release conditions, both El Gamal and her oldest daughter, 18-year-old Habiba Soliman, must wear electronic ankle monitoring devices.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement, strongly opposed the court’s decision. Officials characterized the ruling as coming from an “activist judge” who was “releasing this terrorist’s family onto American streets.”
According to NBC News reports, El Gamal ended her marriage to Soliman following his arrest and publicly denounced the attack. Federal investigators have been examining “to what extent” the family may have known about the planned assault, though the family’s legal representatives maintain they had no advance warning of Soliman’s intentions and argue the detention was unlawful.
The family’s attorneys raised serious concerns about deteriorating health conditions during the extended detention, claiming inadequate medical treatment was provided. Lee reported that El Gamal required emergency room treatment earlier this month due to “excruciating pain,” where a CT scan revealed “fluid around the heart.” The legal team also stated that all five children were experiencing depression.
Homeland Security officials countered that the family received proper medical attention and due process throughout their detention.
Civil rights organizations have consistently criticized conditions within ICE detention facilities, describing them as inhumane based on detainee complaints.
Since Trump resumed office, at least 47 individuals have died while in ICE custody. Civil rights advocates have condemned the administration’s immigration enforcement approach, citing violations of due process and free speech protections, while arguing the policies create dangerous conditions especially for minority communities.
The Trump administration defends these measures as essential for controlling unauthorized immigration and strengthening national security.
