The family of Mohamed Soliman, the Colorado Springs-area man accused of multiple counts of felony attempted murder and a hate crime after he allegedly set several people on fire Sunday in Boulder, was detained Tuesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The six family members — Soliman’s wife, three daughters and two sons — are being processed for expedited removal, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who confirmed the update on X shortly after noon.

“This terrorist will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Noem said. “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.”

The Gazette reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado to ask what charges the family might face, but the agency had no comment. Names of the arrested family members were also not released. 

Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national with a recent residence in an unincorporated area that borders Colorado Springs’ east side, filed an asylum claim in September 2022 after arriving on a tourist visa the month before that expired the following February.

Soliman was then granted a work authorization in March 2023, but after that expired, DHS officials say he did not leave and remained in the U.S. illegally.

Soliman had sprayed gasoline on himself before allegedly hurling Molotov cocktails into the crowd.

He “had planned on dying,” he told authorities.

An affidavit released by authorities detailed how Soliman allegedly prepared for and carried out the attack that injured 12 people in Boulder on Sunday afternoon. The attack occurred near 13th and Pearl streets during a “humanitarian walk” for hostages still being held by Hamas.

Status questions remain

Private immigration attorney Stephanie Izaguirre does not believe Soliman’s family meets the statutory requirements for expedited removal if they entered the country legally with him in 2022 under a tourist visa before filing the asylum claim. 

According to the National Immigration Forum, which advocates for the value of immigrants, if someone is undocumented but has been in the U.S. for more than two years, they are not subject to expedited removal. 

If the family does not meet the requirements for expedited removal, Izaguirre claims their due process rights will be violated if they are immediately deported.

“They are pending asylum and the family is not responsible for the father’s actions,” Izaguirre said. “The rule of law requires that we treat individuals as individuals. There should be no ‘family crimes’ in the United States.”

According to Soliman’s arrest affidavit on the state level, he did not tell his wife or children about his violent intentions that he had planned for a year. 

Izaguirre also provided context as to why Soliman was granted a work visa. If an asylum application is pending for over 180 days, the person who filed the claim would have qualified for a work permit until final adjudication. 

Actions condemned

Despite concerns over due process, Izaquirre told The Gazette she condemns Soliman’s alleged actions. 

“I completely deplore what this man did, if he did what he’s accused of doing,” Izaguirre said.

Soliman was charged with a federal hate crime and is facing state charges for attempted murder in Colorado.

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If he is convicted and given the maximum sentence for each of the charges, he faces up to 624 years in prison, officials said.

Twelve victims have been identified. Initially, only eight victims were reported, but officials said four others contacted police.

Two of the victims were still in the hospital Monday afternoon, according to officials, who urged any other victims or anyone else with information about the attack to come forward. No deaths have been reported as of Tuesday afternoon.

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Soliman was booked into the Boulder County jail late Sunday night after the attack, which federal authorities are calling an “act of terrorism.”

Timing of the attack

Soliman told investigators in the Boulder District Attorney’s Office that he had been planning this attack for the past year and was waiting for his oldest daughter to graduate from high school before completing the attack, according to the arrest affidavit. Soliman’s daughter graduated last week from Thomas MacLaren School in Colorado Springs, according to previous reporting by The Gazette.

When she was young, her father underwent a difficult surgery that restored his ability to walk, according to the earlier reporting. She told a reporter that she realized the importance of medicine after the incident and knew it was something she wanted to pursue.

The teen earned academic honors each year at MacLaren and was the recipient of the Highlander Award for Leadership Involvement and a Best & Brightest Scholarship sponsored by Gazette Charities.

On Monday, officials said Soliman’s family cooperated with the investigation. An arrest affidavit for Soliman stated his wife went to a Colorado Springs police station shortly after his arrest, but no other details were released.

Children’s bikes lay strewn on lawns and porches Monday with obvious signs of play around the home of Soliman in the Cimarron Hills neighborhood.

A neighbor said one of her children saw the family loading their car with several bags. She said Soliman looked “unraveled” as that happened, compared to a softer look for which she was more familiar.

Soliman appeared in court for the first time Monday afternoon, facing the judge with a bandage on his head. His initial, $10 million cash-only bond amount was upheld at the hearing and the judge set his next court date for 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Boulder, when his charges will be filed.

At a news conference Monday afternoon, Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell said the U.S. Attorney’s Office is charging Soliman with a hate crime which, if he is convicted, could result in life in prison. 

Twentieth Judicial District Attorney Michael Dougherty added that the state will be prosecuting the attempted murder and other charges.

Gazette’s Alex Edwards contributed to this report.