Family released from US immigration detention re-arrested again

A US federal court has issued an order blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Hayam El Gamal and her five children, who were detained for 10 months prior to their release earlier this week.

The family, including a woman aged between 5 and 18 years old, had been held in detention following a judge’s order. However, just days after returning home in Colorado, immigration authorities again detained the family on Saturday.

According to their lawyer, Eric Lee, the Trump administration has violated a federal court order by detaining the El Gamal family. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US District Judge Fred Biery had previously ordered the family’s initial release and granted an emergency order on Saturday barring their removal. The White House had stated earlier that it would seek to expel the family, who are in the process of applying for asylum after arriving in the US on tourist visas from Egypt.

The El Gamal family was detained following a violent incident in June 2025, where Mohamed Sabry Soliman attacked a group of people gathering in support of Israeli captives held by Hamas. The family’s lawyers have stated that they were not aware of the plan and have condemned the attack.

The family has experienced health issues while in detention, including an untreated growth on her chest, which required hospitalization earlier this month. Immigration rights groups have noted that detaining children for extended periods is typically illegal.

US Senator Dick Durbin had previously stated that the Trump administration’s motives would be clear if they sought to re-detain the family despite the judge’s order.

Source: Al Jazeera