U.S. immigration authorities have detained the family of an Egyptian man charged with throwing firebombs at a pro-Israel rally in Colorado, officials said Tuesday, and they could be deported as early as the same night.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested Sunday after allegedly tossing Molotov cocktails into a crowd during a demonstration in Boulder organized by Run for Their Lives, a group advocating for hostages taken in the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The attack injured 12 people, many of them elderly.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Soliman’s wife and children were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is investigating whether they had any prior knowledge of the incident. Soliman, who is in the U.S. illegally after overstaying a tourist visa and work permit, had applied for asylum in 2022.
“The family is in ICE custody for expedited removal and could be deported as early as tonight,” the White House said in a post on social media.
Court documents state that Soliman told investigators he acted alone and waited to carry out the attack until after his daughter graduated high school. He also allegedly said he wanted to “kill all Zionist people” and had turned to firebombs after being unable to buy firearms due to his immigration status.
According to affidavits, Soliman learned to make the devices from YouTube and shouted “Free Palestine” as he threw two lit Molotov cocktails at the crowd.
Authorities say Soliman had no prior criminal record or known ties to extremist groups. He has been charged with attempted murder, assault, and a federal hate crime.
The suspect lived in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children after moving from Kuwait. His family has reportedly cooperated with law enforcement, officials said.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting Jewish Americans amid growing tensions linked to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. It follows last month’s fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum near Washington, D.C.