Boulder, CO – The State Department confirmed to Fox News on June 4, 2025, that it has revoked the visas of the wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the suspect in Sunday’s antisemitic terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, which injured 12 people. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested the family earlier today, placing them in federal custody in Florence, Colorado, for expedited removal, a process that could see them deported as early as tonight, per the White House. The swift action, announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, has sparked debate over immigration policy and family accountability in terrorism cases.
Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national, allegedly threw Molotov cocktails and used a makeshift flamethrower during a “Run for Their Lives” march on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, targeting demonstrators advocating for Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Charged with federal hate crimes and 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder, Soliman told investigators he planned the attack for a year, aiming to “kill all Zionist people,” per court documents. He entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa in August 2022, applied for asylum in September 2022, and overstayed after his visa expired in February 2023, according to DHS.
The family’s detention follows Noem’s pledge to investigate whether Soliman’s wife and children knew of or supported the attack, though Soliman claimed in a police affidavit that “no one” in his family was aware of his plans. His wife turned over his iPhone to Colorado Springs police post-arrest, containing messages to his family, per the FBI. The family, who lived in Colorado Springs after moving from Kuwait, faces deportation despite their cooperation, raising questions about due process. A DHS official told CNN the family is being transferred to a Texas detention facility, with their destination country unclear.
The Trump administration has seized on the case to push its immigration agenda. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Monday that “terrorists, their family members, and sympathizers” on visas would face revocation and deportation, per The Washington Post. Critics, including Stanford law professor Lucas Guttentag, argue expedited removal is improper for visa holders and risks punishing families without evidence, noting the process typically targets recent border crossers. The Cato Institute’s Alex Nowrasteh called the move “outrageous,” emphasizing that only those who aided the attack should face consequences.
Soliman’s daughter, recently honored as a “Best and Brightest” graduate in Colorado Springs, had been accepted to college with dreams of medical school, per the Colorado Springs Gazette. Her academic future now hangs in limbo. The family’s detention could complicate Soliman’s trial, as his wife’s testimony may be needed to establish evidence chain of custody, per CPR News.
As Boulder reels from the attack, which targeted victims aged 52 to 88, including a Holocaust survivor, the case intensifies national debates over immigration and security. The administration’s hardline stance signals broader enforcement ahead, but legal challenges may test its limits.
