Court blocks deportation of family in test of Trump’s immigration push

A federal court has stepped in to halt the deportation of a woman and her five children, after immigration authorities moved to detain them again just days after a judge ordered their release.

The case of Hayam El Gamal and her children — aged between five and 18 — is becoming a flashpoint in the broader legal battle over how far the Trump administration can go in enforcing its immigration policies.

The family had already spent 10 months in detention, the longest known period for any family during Trump’s second term. A federal judge ordered their release earlier this week. But after briefly returning to their home in Colorado, they were detained again on Saturday, with authorities reportedly seeking to remove them from the country.

Their legal team responded immediately, arguing the move directly violated a standing court order.

“The Trump administration has kidnapped the El Gamal family in violation of a federal court order from the Western District of Texas, which ordered them Thursday not to detain or remove the family from the United States,” the lawyers said in a statement.

“The attempt to remove the El Gamal family is in violation of a federal court order and must be halted immediately,” it adds.

Within hours, US District Judge Fred Biery issued an emergency order blocking any deportation, effectively restoring the protection he had granted just days earlier.

The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly responded to the developments.

The case sits at the intersection of immigration enforcement and constitutional limits. The Trump administration has, at times, pushed the boundaries of court rulings in its broader effort to tighten immigration controls, particularly targeting arrivals from non-Western countries.

What makes this case more sensitive is the absence of criminal charges. El Gamal and her children were detained following a 2025 attack in Boulder, Colorado, carried out by her former husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman. An 82-year-old woman later died from her injuries.

The family has consistently denied any knowledge of the attack. An FBI agent testified under oath that there was no evidence linking them to the incident, and El Gamal reportedly divorced Soliman shortly after his arrest.

Despite that, the administration signalled early on that it intended to deport the family. A White House post at the time framed the move bluntly: “Six One-Way Tickets for Mohamed’s Wife and Five Kids. Final Boarding Call Coming Soon,”.

For critics, that messaging — combined with the prolonged detention — points to a punitive approach rather than a legal one. Immigration advocates note that extended detention of children is generally restricted under US law, adding another layer of concern.

The family’s lawyers have also raised issues about conditions in custody, citing deteriorating health and inadequate medical care. Earlier this month, El Gamal was hospitalised due to what they described as an untreated medical condition.

Political reaction has followed along familiar lines. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin suggested that any attempt to override the court’s order would reveal the administration’s underlying motives.

“If, despite the judge’s recommendation, the Department of Homeland Security still objects to the release of an innocent woman and her five children, we know exactly why that is the case,” Durbin said.