A federal judge in Texas ordered the release of a mother and her five children on Thursday, ending an immigration detention that lasted more than ten months and which legal advocates described as the longest family detention under the current administration.
The family - Hayam El Gamal and her five children, whose ages range from 5 to 18 - were returned to the community hours after the order by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of the Western District of Texas, their lawyer said. The judge permitted release but ordered ankle monitors for El Gamal and her eldest child, Habiba Soliman, 18.
El Gamal and her children were taken into federal custody last June following a fire-bomb attack in Boulder, Colorado. The attack, which targeted a gathering that commemorated Israeli hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza, injured an 82-year-old woman who later died. El Gamal’s ex-husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, has been charged in connection with the incident.
Eric Lee, attorney for the detained family in Texas, said in a statement: "The El Gamal family is free." The family's legal team maintains the family had no prior knowledge of the alleged suspect's plans and has argued that the detention was unlawful.
The Department of Homeland Security criticized the judge’s decision, calling the ruling the product of an "activist judge" who was "releasing this terrorist’s family onto American streets." The government has said federal agents are investigating "to what extent" the family knew about the attack.
The legal team representing the family raised concerns about the physical and mental health of family members during detention. They said El Gamal was transported this month to an off-site emergency room after experiencing "excruciating pain," and that a CT scan indicated "fluid around the heart." The attorneys also reported that all five children were suffering from depression while in custody.
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security said the family received medical care and due process while detained. Human rights groups and detainee advocates have long published complaints about conditions in Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, calling some conditions inhumane.
Advocacy groups and watchdogs have also pointed to a broader context: at least 47 people have died in ICE custody since the current administration returned to office, and critics have condemned the administration's immigration enforcement strategy as violating due process and free speech rights. Supporters of the enforcement measures argue they are necessary to curb illegal immigration and protect domestic security.
Case context
- Family detained after June fire-bomb attack in Boulder; suspect charged and later identified as the family’s former husband.
- Legal team asserts detention was unlawful and cites medical and mental health deterioration among detainees.
- DHS disputes the judge’s decision and says investigations into the family's knowledge of the attack remain ongoing.
The judge’s order and the ensuing release close a chapter of prolonged family detention that had drawn criticism from rights groups and prompted scrutiny of medical treatment and conditions inside immigration facilities. The situation underscores ongoing tensions between immigration enforcement priorities and civil liberties concerns as the government continues its inquiries into the extent of familial involvement in violent incidents.