UPDATE: 5/6/26 - Family attorney files amended petition with federal courts

Attorneys Eric Lee and Chris Godshall-Bennett have filed an updated petition asking for the Department of Homeland Security’s continued deportation efforts to halt so that the family may pursue their asylum case in peace. You can read the full petition here.

UPDATE: 5/5/26 - Statement from lawyer Eric Lee about the El Gamals treatment after release from Dilley Detention Center

Statement of El Gamal legal team re: abuse of family during illegal deportation flight

We can now share the details of the Trump administration's illegal attempt to deport the El Gamal family in violation of a federal court order last Saturday.

On the afternoon of Thursday, April 23, Hayam El Gamal and her five children were released from almost 11 months of detention at Dilley. Relieved and eager to start their lives anew, they drove back to their home in Colorado with community supporters. ICE scheduled a check-in for Saturday morning. The family arrived in Colorado about 6 hours before the check-in, slept briefly, and drove to the Denver area to the ICE Field Office.

When they checked-in, smiling ICE officers told them the check-in would last "five minutes" and that they would be on their way home soon. Then they were separated from their attorney, taken behind several locked doors, surrounded by 15 officers with guns and told "you are being deported today."

They protested and explained that their deportation was barred by court order, but the ICE officers said they didn't care. They were rushed into a van with bars between the front two seats and the passenger area. An ICE officer sped at roughly 90 miles an hour down the highway to the Denver airport. The children were not put in car seats or seatbelts. One child said they were going to be sick and the officer said "throw up on the floor." They were driven onto the tarmac at Denver International Airport where a private jet contracted by Air Wisconsin was awaiting them. The plane had been brought up to Denver at roughly the same time the family was released--an indication that ICE began planning to re-detain them from the moment a federal court ordered their release.

The family was able to make a frantic call to their legal team from the tarmac in which they provided the tail number before the call was abruptly cut short. On the flight, the family was in extreme distress. They were subject to verbal abuse and medical neglect by ICE contractors. A nurse took Ms. El Gamal's blood pressure and noted it was dangerously high. Despite this, and despite Ms. El Gamal informing the contractors that she was suffering an undiagnosed heart condition, she and her children were not allowed to unbuckle their seatbelts for the duration of the flight. At one point a contractor physically restrained Ms. El Gamal from touching her seatbelt, humiliating her in front of her panicked children. One of the children suffered a panic attack during the flight.

When the plane was turned around in mid-air after leaving the United States, the family was made to sit at the Willow Run airport in Michigan for a protracted period of time. Still they were not allowed out of their seatbelts. They were eventually returned to Denver and released to a group of community supporters. They are presently recuperating from this experience and from the immense trauma they have suffered for the last year.

On Monday, May 4, Ms. El Gamal and her children filed an Amended Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus in the District of Colorado. At present, two courts have barred the Trump administration from attempting to deport the El Gamal family. We ask the public to remain vigilant about the family's case and to remain wide awake to the possibility that the administration will violate existing court orders in its year-long effort to drive this innocent family from the United States.

Update: 4/26/26 - The El Gamals are back home after attempted ICE deportation

After an extraordinary and deeply troubling day, the El Gamal family is back home in Colorado Springs.

Yesterday, a mother who is seriously ill, four children, a young woman, and their family were taken into custody while complying with a required check-in in Denver, placed on a flight, and were in the process of being deported in defiance of court orders before emergency court intervention forced their return. By late last night, they were safely home again.

Let that reality sink in: these were not dangerous criminals. These were children, a young woman, and a very sick mother caught in a chaotic and unlawful process while trying to follow the rules.

We are profoundly grateful for a judicial system that continues to affirm a basic principle: no administration is above the law. Court orders matter. Due process matters. The constitutional separation of powers matters. When those principles were tested yesterday, the courts acted.

We also want to state clearly, again: this family is innocent. Federal investigators previously determined there was no evidence that the mother or children had knowledge of the crime committed by another family member. They have cooperated with authorities from the beginning. They should not be punished for the actions of someone else. In fact, that person’s actions have placed this family at serious risk both here and in their home country, making them secondary victims of his crime.

In recent months, false and misleading narratives that have even been pushed by public officials have been circulated about this family, their treatment in detention, and the status of their immigration case. We encourage people to look carefully at the court record, the documented facts, and the rulings that continue to expose those distortions.

This family has endured detention, fear, trauma, medical neglect, and profound uncertainty. What they need now is rest, healing, proper medical care, and the chance to continue their legal case through a fair and lawful process.

To everyone who prayed, advocated, contacted officials, showed up publicly, donated, and refused to look away: thank you. Your voices mattered yesterday, and they still matter now.

Update 4/23/26: The El Gamal family is free!

GREAT NEWS!

The El Gamal family was ordered released by a federal judge on Thursday, April 23. Their attorneys welcomed them as they safely departed the Dilley detention center.

Today is a day of deep gratitude, relief, and joy.

We offer profound thanks to the legal team, whose skill, courage, and steady commitment helped secure this outcome. For nearly a year, they fought tirelessly, presented the facts, challenged injustice, and never wavered in their defense of this family. Their work has been a powerful reminder of why legal advocacy matters.

To the people of Colorado Springs and the many local friends of the El Gamal family: thank you. Our community has carried this burden together. Hundreds of neighbors devoted countless hours to advocacy, organized support, visited, wrote letters, made calls, raised funds, and stood faithfully for truth and justice. We are deeply grateful, and we are ready to welcome this family home and walk beside them in the long road of healing ahead.

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the thousands of people across the United States who stood with this family—those who shared their story, contacted elected officials, prayed, marched, protested, donated, encouraged, and refused to let their suffering be unseen. Your voices mattered. Your compassion mattered. Your persistence mattered.

THANK YOU- To the offices of John Hickenlooper, and Michael Bennet. Thank you for hearing concerns from constituents, receiving community members, and taking the time to listen during a painful and urgent season. Public service is at its best when leaders remain accessible to the people they represent. Thanks to the staff at Jeff Crank’s office who met with us and cared about the family’s story.

THANK YOU- to the federal judges who carefully reviewed the evidence, applied the law, and upheld due process. An independent judiciary is one of the great safeguards of a free society. When courts weigh facts fairly and protect legal rights, they strengthen public trust and honor the principles on which this nation was built.

THANK YOU- to the press and journalists who took the time to report the nuances and complexities of this story with care and integrity. Thank you for elevating the voices of this family and others in detention, asking hard questions, and helping the public understand what was at stake. Your work ensured that this story was not hidden in silence, but seen and heard by the wider world. It is a powerful reminder that a free and independent press—one not controlled by government power or financial interests—is essential to a healthy democracy and a free society.

This moment is also a reminder of enduring American ideals: that justice should be guided by evidence, that every person deserves due process, that government power must be checked, and that human dignity does not depend on status, wealth, or popularity. Freedom, fairness, and equal treatment under the law are not small values—they are foundational.

And above all, we give thanks to God, who sees every person, hears every cry, and remains near to the weary and oppressed. We thank Him for sustaining this family, strengthening those who advocated, guiding those who fought for justice, and opening a path forward when the road seemed closed. We pray for peace, restoration, and healing in the days ahead.

This is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of a new chapter—one marked by safety, recovery, and hope. We will continue to share updates and news coverage as they become available.

Today, we rejoice. Today, a family is free.

UPDATE: 4/14/26- Statement from the El Gamals’ lawyer, Eric Lee:

Here is the official update from Habiba’s lawyer:

Very sad to report that Hayam El Gamal, mother of 5 kids detained at Dilley for 10+ months, has suffered a serious medical emergency due to systematic denial of medical attention by ICE.

We can now share the following:

For many weeks Ms. El Gamal has been concerned about a growth on her chest that has caused pain for many weeks. She has made complaints to Dilley staff and ICE repeatedly but has been denied a visit to an outside doctor. She had specifically made requests for a CT scan to identify the lump and the source of her pain.

On Thursday April 8, a doctor at Dilley told her that he had put in a request for a CT scan but "higher ups" in either ICE or CoreCivic overrode his request, and so no scan was conducted. Medical records show she had been demanding help since February, at which time she said her pain had been already worsening for 8 weeks. A doctor at Dilley said the lump in her chest was merely a bone.

Mid-morning on Friday April 9, Ms. El Gamal began experiencing excruciating pain which she rated an 11 out of 10. She described the pain as being stabbed through the back to the stomach. At about 11 AM central time she began pleading with officials for painkillers and medical attention. After two hours of asking for help (at around 1 PM central time) she was taken to an off-site emergency room. While there she received lab work and, finally, a CT scan. The CT scan confirmed that the lump was not a bone, but it did not reveal what the lump was.

The scan also showed she has "fluid around the heart." The ER doctor recommended an ultrasound to determine what was causing the pain, but this was denied. Ms. El Gamal was told she had to go back to Dilley and was not given the ultrasound. We do not know if the lump is cancerous, all we know is that the pain is increasing, the incidents are becoming worse and worse, and she is not receiving proper diagnosis that could lead to proper treatment.

After 10 months in detention, Ms. El Gamal remains in pain. We are concerned that the systematic denial of medical attention may result in her death. Her children are extremely worried about their mother, who is now their only guardian. Her five year old child has been denied the right to go to a dentist for 13 cavities. Her 16 year old son was told to take tylenol when he suffered from acute appendicitis. All of the children are suffering from depression.

Please join us in demanding the El Gamal's immediate release so that she can acquire the urgent medical attention she desperately needs. This family has suffered enough.

UPDATE: 4/1/26

As of this week, Hayam El Gamal and her five children have been held in detention at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas for 10 MONTHS.

Recent visits from community members during spring break have provided both encouragement to the family and a clearer picture of the serious conditions they are facing.

Current Concerns

1. Urgent Medical Needs (Mother)

• Hayam is visibly ill and reports that her body is “shutting down.”

• She has a history of cancer.

• She has visible spots on her face and worsening symptoms.

• Despite this, she has been told her next medical appointment is five months away.

2. Untreated Dental Pain (5-Year-Old Child)

• One of the twins had dental treatment scheduled in Colorado Springs for June 2025 that was missed due to detention.

• The child is now living with ongoing, significant pain.

• Treatment has been limited to over-the-counter pain medication, without adequate dental care.

3. Inability to Safely Self-Deport

• The family has been told they can only self-deport if their records are marked with a “terrorism” designation, including for the children.

• This designation would place them at serious risk if returned to Egypt.

• As a single mother who has cooperated with U.S. authorities and denounced her husband, Hayam would face additional cultural and safety risks.

4. Family Separation and Emotional Trauma

• Habiba, the eldest daughter, is being housed separately from her mother and siblings.

• She is allowed to see them only one hour per day.

• She is experiencing significant emotional distress and fear of permanent separation from her family.

5. Living Conditions and Child Welfare

• Limited access to fresh, nutritious food (including reports of children asking for basic items like fruit).

• Inadequate mental health support despite prolonged detention and trauma.

• Lack of consistent educational opportunities for the children.

Why This Matters

This is not a short-term situation. Nearly 10 months of detention has had visible physical, emotional, and developmental impacts on this family—particularly on the children.

The combination of:

• delayed medical care

• untreated pain

• prolonged family separation

• and uncertain legal status

has created an increasingly urgent humanitarian situation.

How You Can Help

• Contact elected officials and request intervention on behalf of the El Gamal family

• Raise awareness by sharing their story with your community

• Stay informed and engaged through updates and advocacy efforts.

• Contribute to their commissary account to help them purchase fresh water and food that is edible. Dedicate your donation to Hayam El Gamal. We have vetted and used this resource.