A federal judge in the United States issued an order on Wednesday, June 4, preventing the deportation of the wife and five children of an Egyptian immigrant. The man is accused of launching a fiery attack on a crowd during a protest in Boulder, Colorado.
The request from Mohamed Sabry Soliman’s family to halt the deportation proceedings for his wife and five children was approved by U.S. District Judge Gordon Gallagher in Colorado. Federal immigration officials had detained them on Tuesday.
The attack took place on Sunday afternoon, with Soliman being arrested on the spot. However, authorities have not charged his family with involvement in the attack, which targeted a demonstration in support of the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Soliman is facing federal charges of hate crimes and state-level charges of attempted murder.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated on Wednesday that Soliman’s family members are undergoing the deportation process. Detaining and deporting family members of a suspect is uncommon.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security mentioned that Soliman’s wife, his 18-year-old daughter, two minor sons, and two minor daughters are all Egyptian citizens.
Noem stated, “We are investigating how much his family knew about this heinous attack, whether they were aware or provided support for it.”
Noem also mentioned that in response to the Boulder attack, federal authorities will take action against individuals who overstay their visas after expiration.
Soliman told authorities that no one, including his family, knew about his plans for the attack.
Earlier on Wednesday, officials updated the number of victims in the attack from 12 to 15 people, plus a dog.
Authorities in Boulder County providing the latest updates mentioned that the victims include 8 females and 7 males, ranging in age from 25 to 88.
Police stated that the 45-year-old Soliman had initially planned to kill approximately 20 participants in the Sunday march but only threw two of the 18 Molotov cocktails he had, shouting “Free Palestine” in the process. Federal authorities noted that Soliman is an Egyptian citizen currently residing unlawfully in the U.S.
According to an affidavit provided by the FBI, Soliman told police that his motive was to “kill all Jewish Zionists.” Authorities emphasized his lack of remorse for the attack.
Court documents reveal that Soliman lived in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to Colorado Springs, the most populous city in Colorado, three years ago.
(*This article referenced reporting from The Associated Press)