An Egyptian mother and her children, previously jailed by immigration authorities, arrived back in their home in Colorado on Wednesday, after a days-long ordeal during which the Trump administration likely attempted to violate a federal judge’s order.
Their attorney, Eric Lee, claimed the US government’s actions against the El Gamal family constituted “kidnapping” after immigration officials re-arrested the family last week.
“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 posted on X.
The El Gamal family ordeal this week is the latest instance in which the Trump administration has seemingly attempted to overstep a federal judge’s orders related to immigration proceedings.
The family was arrested last June by ICE after the children’s father was accused of a high-profile attack against Israeli hostage supporters in Colorado. El Gamal’s husband, Mohammed Soliman, who the family says is estranged from them, was charged with federal hate crimes. The family and their attorneys have repeatedly said they knew nothing of his attack.
The Trump administration accused the El Gamal family of being “associates” to the father’s attack last week, according to a statement provided to a Texas Tribune reporter.
“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,” DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis said. “We are confident the courts will ultimately vindicate us.”
El Gamal and her five children are believed to be the family that has been held the longest inside the privately-run South Texas Family Residential Center, an ICE facility in Dilley, Texas, the Texas Tribune reported.
During their time in detention, El Gamal suffered health problems that went unresolved, Lee said. In mid-April, Lee released a statement saying that El Gamal pleaded with officials for a series of weeks for an emergency visit to a hospital for a growth on her chest. After eventually being taken to the emergency room following a medical emergency, ICE allegedly denied further tests to determine what was causing her pain.
For months, the family has been pleading with ICE and federal courts for their release, challenging a deportation order. Although their appeal was unsuccessful, a federal judge in Texas ordered their release on 23 April.
Following the judge’s order, ICE released the family – a decision celebrated by lawmakers, including Democratic senator Dick Durbin. “I’m relieved they are free,” Durbin said on social media.
But two days later, hours after arriving back to their Colorado home on 25 April, ICE re-arrested the family, threatening deportation once again and leading to a dizzying scramble by her attorneys and a Colorado federal court.
“The Trump administration has kidnapped the El Gamal family in violation of a federal court order” from Texas, El Gamal’s attorneys said in a statement.
The family was ushered onto an airplane bound for Michigan, but the Colorado federal judge ordered ICE to stop any deportation attempts, prompting the plane to turn around. That same day, the family was released from ICE custody.
Lee, the attorney, confirmed they had arrived back in Colorado on 29 April.
The Trump administration has fallen under continual criticism for violating court orders related to attempts to deport people. One of the most well-known cases of the administration ignoring a court order has been that of Venezuelan and Salvadoran men, who were quickly placed on airplanes and sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador last year.
