Longest Family Immigration Detention of Trump's Second Administration Ends After 10 Months

A United States federal judge ordered the release of a mother and her five children after more than 10 months in immigration detention, ending what advocates describe as the longest family detention of President Donald Trump's second administration.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered Hayam El Gamal and her five children, ages 5 to 18, freed Thursday, and they were released hours later, according to their attorney. According to The San Antonio Express News, they were held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, one of the largest immigration family detention facilities in the U.S.

"They are free," lawyer Eric Lee said in a statement. El Gamal and her 18-year-old child must wear electronic monitoring; the government opposed the release, and the family's asylum/deportation proceedings are still ongoing.

"After facing months of inhumane conditions in ICE family detention, a judge ordered ICE to release Hayam El Gamal and her five children. I'm relieved they are free", said in social media Senador Dick Durbin. "But too many families are still suffering from the MAGA mass deportation operation."

The case centers on the famlily, who had been held in federal custody since June 2025. Their detention followed a violent attack in Boulder, where El Gamal's ex-husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, was charged in connection with a firebombing that left multiple people injured. An 82-year-old woman who was wounded in the attack later died.

Authorities have not accused El Gamal or her children of involvement in the attack. Still, the family was taken into custody as federal officials moved to detain and potentially deport relatives connected to high-profile criminal cases as part of the Trump administration's broader immigration crackdown.

Their prolonged detention drew criticism from immigration attorneys and civil rights advocates, who argued that holding a mother and children for months without criminal charges raised serious legal and humanitarian concerns. Family detention has long been one of the most controversial aspects of U.S. immigration policy, particularly when minors are involved.

Judge Biery's order did not immediately include a detailed public explanation, but federal courts have historically placed limits on how long families, especially children, can be held in immigration custody. Legal experts say prolonged detention often triggers constitutional challenges and conflicts with prior court rulings governing the treatment of minors.

The case unfolded against the backdrop of an aggressive enforcement push under Trump's second term, which has expanded the use of detention and deportation as central tools of immigration policy. While federal officials argue that detention is necessary to ensure compliance with immigration proceedings and protect public safety, critics say the approach has increasingly swept in individuals with no direct link to criminal activity.

For the El Gamal family, the legal battle became a test of how far the government can go in detaining relatives of criminal suspects. Immigration law generally focuses on an individual's own status and actions, not those of family members, making the case particularly sensitive.

The Justice Department has not publicly commented on the ruling. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration detention, also has not detailed why the family was held for so long or whether similar cases are under review.