Federal Judge Orders Release of Detained Family in Texas Immigration Center
A federal judge has ruled that a mother and her five children, who have spent more time in a Texas immigration detention center than any other family, should be released. They have been in custody since the arrest of their father, who was implicated in an anti-Semitic firebombing incident in Colorado nearly a year ago.
As of hours after the judge’s decision, the family had not yet been released. Heyman El Gamal and her children have endured over 10 months of detention. They were taken into custody in June following the arrest of El Gamal’s ex-husband, Mohamed Sabri Soliman, 45, who faces charges related to an attack on a gathering advocating for the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza.
El Gamal, who divorced Soliman after his arrest, maintains that neither she nor her children were aware of his alleged intentions. The detention of her children followed his arrest, amid escalating tensions surrounding the incident.
Attorney Eric Lee, representing El Gamal and her children, expressed cautious optimism regarding the ruling. He insisted on the immediate release of the family, emphasizing their resilience over the prolonged detention period.
According to Lee, the family reacted with mixed emotions to the ruling. While they felt vindicated, they remain acutely aware of the harsh treatment they received from the government during their ordeal. “They have witnessed the unjust treatment by the administration towards this family and are eager to see their suffering come to an end,” Lee noted.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not respond to inquiries regarding the case on the same day. Notably, the Trump administration had previously indicated intentions to deport the family shortly after their detention, posting on social media about boarding tickets for El Gamal and her children.
Over the past months, the family has documented their challenging experiences in the facility through letters and drawings. The children’s ages range from 5 to 18 years old; the eldest son, Habiba Soliman, was separated from the family upon turning 18 after participating in a protest at the detention center. The younger children have also marked milestone birthdays while confined in Dilley, Texas.
Earlier this month, El Gamal was hospitalized with a concerning health issue, reportedly receiving inadequate medical treatment while in detention. Court documents indicate that paramedics discovered fluid around her heart, but the cause of her symptoms remains unclear. DHS has denied claims of negligence, dismissing allegations of unsatisfactory care as unfounded while asserting that their facilities are equipped to meet the medical needs of detainees.
The recent court ruling by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, aims to facilitate the family’s release amid their complex legal journey through immigration proceedings. The family had previously been ordered released on $15,000 bail by an immigration judge in September 2025, but various legal challenges have prolonged their detention.
El Gamal’s lawyers argue that the government violated her and her children’s due process rights during their detention. The judge’s ruling emphasized the need for additional procedural protections in light of the case’s unique circumstances. Notably, court-ordered rules dictate that children cannot be held longer than 20 days, but these regulations have been routinely disregarded by the government.
