DHS Officials Comments On Colorado Investigation

By
Markus Noah
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A brutal terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, which left six elderly individuals burned and hospitalized during a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration, is now at the center of a growing immigration and national security scandal. Federal officials have identified the suspect as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national who overstayed a visa after entering the United States under the Biden administration.


According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources, Soliman entered the U.S. at LAX on August 27, 2022, on a B1/B2 nonimmigrant visa, with legal authorization to remain through February 26, 2023. He never left.

Just over a month after arriving, on September 29, 2022, Soliman reportedly filed a claim with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—possibly for asylum. By March 29, 2023, despite having overstayed his visa, Soliman was granted work authorization by the Biden administration, valid through March 28, 2025.


This bureaucratic green light enabled Soliman to live and work legally, even as his status should have made him subject to removal. That failure has now taken on grave dimensions as the suspect stands accused of a premeditated terror attack on American soil.

On Sunday, during a weekly walk organized to raise awareness for Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Soliman reportedly approached the group and threw incendiary devices into the crowd while yelling “Free Palestine” and “End Zionists.”


FBI Special Agent Mark Michalek confirmed that six victims—aged 67 to 88—were taken to local hospitals with injuries.

“This attack happened at a regularly scheduled peaceful event,” Michalek said. “As a result of these preliminary facts, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence, and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism.”

Rick Holter, a bystander interviewed by Colorado Public Radio, described seeing a shirtless man with squirt bottles shouting while a burn victim lay on the ground being doused by others. Social media footage appears to show the attacker in the act and captures the aftermath, with smoke rising and cries of panic echoing through Pearl Street Mall.


Another witness told KDVR that a woman was visibly “burning on the ground”, and others had sustained burns to their legs.

The case is now a flashpoint in the national conversation about immigration enforcement and public safety under the Biden administration. Soliman’s visa overstay, work authorization, and apparent ideological motivation raise sharp questions:

  • Why was an overstay allowed to remain in the country with government-issued work status?
  • What vetting or monitoring occurred after his asylum claim or work authorization was filed?
  • Could this attack have been prevented by stricter immigration enforcement?

With billions allocated to DHS and USCIS annually, critics argue this case underscores a systemic breakdown. The process failed not just bureaucratically, but with human cost.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) issued a strongly worded statement:

“This heinous and targeted act on the Jewish community… is unfathomable. Hate is unacceptable in our Colorado for all, and I condemn this act of terror.”

He added that he had spoken to Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett, and pledged state and federal cooperation to prosecute the suspect “to the fullest extent of the law.”

Polis also highlighted the broader climate of violence against the Jewish community, referencing recent antisemitic killings in Washington, D.C., and noting the painful timing of the Boulder attack on the eve of Shavuot, a major Jewish holiday.

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