US judge issues order stopping deportation of family of man charged in Boulder firebombing
A federal judge issued an order Wednesday to prevent the deportation of the wife and five children of an Egyptian man charged in the firebomb attack in Boulder, Colorado.
U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher granted a request from the family of Mohamed Sabry Soliman to halt deportation proceedings of his wife and five children who were taken into federal custody Tuesday by U.S. immigration officials.
The family members have not been charged in the attack. Soliman faces federal hate crime charges and state charges of attempted murder in the Sunday attack in downtown Boulder.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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2 hours ago
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Colorado attack suspect to appear in federal court Friday as he faces nearly 120 state charges
The Egyptian man accused of carrying out an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, is set to appear in federal court on Friday – a day after he was charged with 28 counts of attempted murder in connection to a firebombing that has sparked widespread fear across the Jewish community. Mohamed Soliman, 45, allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set people on fire during a downtown event held in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The attack occurred on the eve of Shavuot, a Jewish holiday, and less than two weeks after a separate antisemitic attack in Washington, DC, where two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot dead. In a Public Service Announcement Thursday, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security highlighted 'potential public safety concerns related to ongoing threats to Jewish and Israeli communities.' Soliman faces a federal hate crime charge in connection with the Boulder attack, an affidavit shows. He faces life in prison if convicted of the federal charge, acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado J. Bishop Grewell said Monday. On Thursday, Soliman appeared in court from a room in the Boulder County Jail before Colorado District Judge Nancy Salomone to face state charges. Wearing an orange zip-up jacket, Soliman nodded in response to the judge's questions. He faces 118 counts, including 28 counts of first-degree attempted murder, according to court documents filed in the Boulder District Court. Soliman also faces counts of felony assault, incendiary device charges, along with one count of animal cruelty, the document shows. CNN has reached out to his attorney for comment. A total of 62 of those counts relate to the victims. If convicted, Soliman could face up to 48 years in prison for each victim, said Michael Dougherty, the district attorney for Colorado's 20th Judicial District. The attack injured at least 15 people – including a Holocaust survivor – as well as a dog. The victims included eight women and seven men between the ages of 25 and 88, according to the FBI, with several suffering severe burns. Three victims remained hospitalized as of Thursday, Dougherty said. He is due in court for a preliminary hearing on his state charges on July 15. During the attack, Soliman reportedly yelled 'Free Palestine,' according to the FBI and later told authorities that 'he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,' an affidavit said. Authorities are investigating whether Soliman has any underlying mental health issues, a source familiar with the investigation previously told CNN. Investigators are also examining a notebook left behind by Soliman, which includes a manifesto written in English with some lines in Arabic, according to a law enforcement source. Police recovered the notebook after Soliman directed them to its location. Investigators are also reviewing videos Soliman recorded on his phone, featuring him speaking in both English and Arabic, the source said. One such video, which has surfaced on social media, appears to show Soliman speaking in Arabic while driving. CNN has not independently confirmed the video's authenticity. The attack is one of multiple recent incidents that has increased fear among the Jewish community in the US. 'The ongoing Israel-HAMAS conflict may motivate other violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators with similar grievances to conduct violence against Jewish and Israeli communities and their supporters,' the FBI and DHS warned in their public service announcement. 'Foreign terrorist organizations also may try to exploit narratives related to the conflict to inspire attacks in the United States,' the announcement said. The agencies urged the public to remain vigilant and report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett and interfaith leaders gathered Wednesday to denounce the attack and call for unity, according to a news release. 'Violence in any form has no place in Colorado, and we know that to move forward we must join together in our common humanity to ensure peace in our communities, take care of one another, and emerge stronger,' Polis said in a statement. CNN's Danya Gainor, Cindy Von Quednow, Evan Perez, Alisha Ebrahimji and Jeremy Harlan contributed to this report.
New York Post
4 hours ago
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Colorado terror attack suspect Mohamed Soliman formally slapped with 118 charges for antisemitic firebombing attack: court docs
Accused Colorado terrorist Mohamed Sabry Soliman was formally slapped with a whopping 118 criminal counts by state prosecutors Thursday for the horrific firebombing attack on people participating in a march to honor Israeli hostages days earlier. Soliman, 45 — an Egyptian national who was living in the US illegally after his visa expired on March 28 — is now facing 28 counts of attempted murder for allegedly spraying a homemade flamethrower and hurling Molotov cocktails at the peaceful marchers in Boulder Sunday, according to court documents. The hate-filled madman allegedly injured 15 people, ranging in age from 25 to 88, and one dog on Sunday when he attacked Run for Their Lives, an organization advocating for the release of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. 4 Mohamed Sabry Soliman virtually appears in court from the Boulder County Jail on June 5, 2025. Reuters Three burn victims remain in the hospital, according to reports. Soliman, who lived in Colorado Springs, reportedly said 'he wanted them to all die and that was [his] plan. He said he would go back and do it again and had no regret doing what he did,' Boulder Detective John Sailer wrote in an affidavit for his arrest warrant. Soliman – who shouted 'Free Palestine' after the attack – stood behind a transparent partition in court Thursday as the charges were announced. In addition to attempted murder, the alleged terrorist was also charged with several counts of use of an explosive or incendiary device and assault on a person over the age of 70, and one count of cruelty towards animals, according to court docs. If convicted, Soliman could be looking at nearly 700 years behind bars, according to Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty. 4 Soliman allegedly sprayed a homemade flamethrower and hurled Molotov cocktails at the peaceful marchers in Boulder on June 1, 2025. AP 4 Soliman reportedly said 'he wanted them to all die and that was [his] plan. 'The charges reflect the evidence we have regarding this horrific attack that took place and the seriousness of it,' Dougherty told reporters outside the courthouse. 'I encourage all of us to continue to lift up the victims, and support them and their loved ones and the Jewish community in response to this crime.' Additional charges could be brought by prosecutors as new evidence is unearthed in the ongoing investigation into the antisemitic Boulder attack, authorities have said. Soliman, who overstayed his visa, is also facing charges from federal prosecutors — including federal hate crime charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. 4 Additional charges could be brought by prosecutors as new evidence is unearthed in the ongoing investigation into the antisemitic Boulder attack, authorities have said. via REUTERS Since the attack ICE detained Soliman's wife and five children who now face expedited deportation. His next court date is on July 15.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
No Innocent Victim: Habiba Exploited U.S. System — And Stayed Silent
An Egyptian man living illegally in the United States set a group of pro-Israel demonstrators on fire in Boulder, Colorado. But while authorities investigate the attack as domestic terrorism — and as mainstream media outlets attempt to draw sympathy for his daughter and portray the family as victims — deeper questions are emerging about his 18-year-old daughter, who remained in the U.S. unlawfully, said nothing about her father's hate, and, by all appearances, exploited America's immigration system to stay and benefit from it. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, entered the U.S. from Kuwait on a tourist visa in 2022, which expired in February 2023. He overstayed, illegally obtained work authorization, and ultimately carried out a brutal firebombing on June 1. Fifteen people and a dog were injured. The FBI is investigating the act as a targeted anti-Semitic terror attack. Soliman didn't come alone. He brought his wife and five children, including Habiba Soliman, who is now at the center of the story — not for any condemnation of her father's ideology or actions, but because she has chosen to stay in the country illegally and expects to avoid deportation. According to public records and interviews, the family's arrival and asylum claim appear to have been manufactured for convenience, not necessity. They came from Kuwait — a stable, wealthy nation — and were not under threat. In an interview months before the attack, Habiba herself stated that her family came to the U.S. so she could attend medical school. Habiba wasn't just aware of the reason they came — she admitted it. And despite knowing their asylum claim lacked legitimacy, she reportedly applied for and received a scholarship — an opportunity that could have gone to a deserving student lawfully residing in the United States. Her pursuit of that benefit under false pretenses highlights how thoroughly the system was manipulated — and how willing she was to take advantage of it. Michele Jansen of NewsTalk 103.7FM observed, 'They weren't refugees. They weren't under any threat. This was not a family fleeing danger. They came here so the daughter could go to medical school — and the father overstayed his visa and somehow got a work permit. There's absolutely no reason this family shouldn't be immediately deported.' Rather than fleeing persecution, the Soliman family appears to have knowingly gamed the system — overstaying visas, filing a questionable asylum claim, seeking benefits, and remaining silent as the father spewed hate and planned violence. In a video posted just days before the attack, Mohamed Soliman praised Allah as greater than 'the Zionists' and denounced the West by name. 'Allah is greater than the Zionists, Allah is greater than America and its weapons,' he said. 'Not the Zionists, America, Britain, France, or Germany.' Despite being a legal adult, Habiba has refused to denounce her father's violent extremism. She has shown no remorse, no condemnation, and no effort to disassociate herself from the hate that motivated a domestic terror attack. For many, that silence is not just troubling — it's a deliberate act of evasion. Compounding the controversy, USA Today ran a now-edited profile of Habiba that cast her as a sympathetic aspiring medical student facing deportation. The piece was widely criticized for glossing over the family's immigration violations and lack of accountability. The Dallas Express previously reported on the backlash and quiet edits to the article. Following the attack, ICE arrested the family. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said an investigation is underway to determine whether they had prior knowledge or supported the act. '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,' Noem wrote. 'I am continuing to pray for the victims of this attack and their families. Justice will be served.' Even if no charges are filed, legal experts argue deportation is warranted. Attorney Barkdoll said during a radio interview on NewsTalk 103.7FM, 'Even if the wife and these kids were not involved in the criminality aspect of this case, if they are here illegally, and it certainly appears they are, then they should be deported. I mean, they should not be allowed to just stay here when it looks like they may have exploited and taken advantage of the system to get in in the first place.' His comments reflect growing sentiment that the Soliman family not only remained in the U.S. unlawfully but also took advantage of a weakened immigration system — one that increasingly fails to differentiate between legitimate asylum seekers and those exploiting it. Habiba Soliman is not a helpless daughter dragged into a tragedy. She is an adult who stayed in this country illegally, stood silent in the face of hatred, took educational benefits she was not entitled to, and is now leveraging loopholes in the law to remain. She remained silent, received unearned opportunities, and is now relying on public sympathy to avoid the consequences. That's not victimhood. It's exploitation — and the facts speak for themselves.
