A federal judge Friday gave attorneys more time before making a final ruling on a motion to block the deportation of the Boulder Pearl Street Mall attacker’s family, but told prosecutors he had jurisdiction to step in if the family was detained.
Mohamed Soliman, 46, the man charged in federal court with multiple hate crimes for the June 1, 2025 attack on a group of peaceful protesters demanding the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, filed a motion on May 3 to block his family’s deportation.
Watch the latest on this story in the video below:
The motion stated that his family would be material witnesses if federal prosecutors sought the death penalty.
Judge John Kane had given prosecutors and defense attorneys two weeks to present more arguments at a May 14 hearing. On Friday, he gave two more weeks and set another hearing for 10 a.m. on June 29, when prosecutors said they would have a better idea on if they would pursue the death penalty in this case.
Earlier this month, Soliman pleaded guilty to more than 100 state charges in Boulder District Court, including first-degree murder for the death of Karen Diamond, who died of injuries a few weeks after the attack. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Soliman’s ex-wife and five children were detained in the days after the attack and spent months at the Family Detention Center in Dilley, Texas.
Local
Family of accused Boulder attacker returns to Colorado, family's attorneys say
Prosecutor Melissa Hindman argued that Judge Kane did not have jurisdiction to issue a temporary hold to keep the family in the country and that it was not needed because Soliman’s ex-wife, Hayam El Gamal, also has a motion pending in the courts to allow her family to stay in the country.
Even if the motion was denied, it would still take at least 30 days for the family to be removed.
Kane countered, stating that he would have the right to take immediate action if the family was detained. He also noted that the country’s executive branch did not have the right to interfere with judicial matters.
“We’re closer to chaos in our system and I’m trying to avoid that,” he said.
Kane also commended both the prosecutors and defense attorneys for working together civilly though this process.
