Judges Halt ICE Deportation After Family Flown Mid-Flight Toward Removal
Federal judges blocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting the family of an accused Colorado attacker on April 26, 2026, after ICE had put the family on a flight that was headed toward removal, according to NPR.
The family had been held in immigration detention for nearly a year and were released after judges intervened, their lawyers said in the hours after the flight was halted and the court action took effect, per NPR.
The episode traces back to the arrest of an alleged attacker in Colorado and subsequent immigration actions that led ICE to detain multiple relatives as removal proceedings moved forward. The case spawned months of litigation and challenges over detention and deportation that culminated in the mid-flight intervention, as reported by NPR.
Judges have temporarily barred the removal while courts consider the family's legal claims, and the relatives remain free from detention pending further proceedings and any additional orders from the courts.
Show source details & analysis (1 source)
📌 Key Facts
- On Thursday, April 23, 2026, Judge Fred Biery ordered ICE to release Hayam El Gamal and her five children from the Dilley, Texas, family detention center and barred their deportation.
- On Saturday, April 25, 2026, ICE re-detained the family at a required Denver check-in and placed them on a plane for deportation to Egypt, according to their attorneys.
- Emergency orders issued Saturday by Judge Biery in Texas and Judge Nina Wang in Colorado again barred removal, and the plane reportedly turned around mid-flight and returned the family to Denver that night.
- A DHS spokeswoman issued a political statement attacking Judge Biery and labeling the father, Mohammed Soliman, a terrorist, while asserting the family has a final removal order dated December 29, 2025.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time