A federal judge on Wednesday issued an order to prevent the deportation of the wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the Egyptian national charged in Sunday’s firebomb attack against Jews in downtown Boulder, Colorado, The Associated Press reported.
US District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher granted the family's request to halt removal proceedings, which began after they were taken into federal custody by US immigration officials on Tuesday.
The family members—Soliman's wife, 18-year-old daughter, and four minor children—are all Egyptian citizens and have not been charged in connection with the attack. Soliman, 45, faces federal hate crime charges and state charges of attempted murder.
Authorities stated Soliman had planned to kill approximately 20 participants at a demonstration on the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, but ultimately threw only two of 18 Molotov cocktails while yelling "Free Palestine," according to police.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed the family's detention, stating, “We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it."
Soliman, however, told authorities that no one, including his family, was aware of his planned attack, according to court documents.
The FBI affidavit revealed Soliman told police he was motivated by a desire "to kill all Zionist people" and expressed no remorse. The attack occurred amidst a backdrop of escalating antisemitic violence in the United States.
Soliman arrived in the US in August 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in February 2023. He filed for asylum in September 2022 and received work authorization in March 2023, which has also expired.
Soliman is currently held on a $10 million cash bond and is scheduled to appear in state court on Thursday.