ICE Re-arrests El Gamal Family at Denver Check-In Despite Court Order; Emergency Courts Halt Deportation Flight Mid-Air

An Egyptian family — Hayam El Gamal and her five minor children — were re-arrested by ICE agents at the Denver ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field office on April 26, 2026, less than 48 hours after a federal judge had ordered their release on April 24. The family had spent more than 320 days in ICE detention, primarily at the South Texas Family Residential Center (Dilley) in Texas, after being detained in connection with their relative Haysam Khalil El-Gamal, who is charged with a violent attack in Colorado. ICE placed the family on a deportation flight heading east — even though the family had complied with the court order by appearing at the ICE check-in office — triggering immediate emergency litigation from their legal team. Multiple federal judges issued emergency orders halting the deportation, and the flight was turned around mid-air, returning the family to Denver. The family was released the same day following the court intervention. The incident drew national attention to ICE's practice of re-detaining individuals who comply with court-ordered check-ins. Civil rights attorneys raised contempt-of-court arguments against ICE for disregarding the release order. During 320+ days in ICE custody, the family had documented medical neglect, inadequate food, and treatment they described as disrespectful of their Muslim faith. The case became a flashpoint in broader litigation over whether ICE can re-arrest individuals during court-ordered compliance check-ins.