National

El Gamal Family In ICE Custody Again After Release from 10-Month Detention

By Peter Aitken Newsweek
Sign outside Department of Homeland Security in Washington DC. Washington DC, USA - A sign on the exterior of the building housing the US Department of Homeland Security in central Washington DC, USA.
Sign outside Department of Homeland Security in Washington DC. Washington DC, USA - A sign on the exterior of the building housing the US Department of Homeland Security in central Washington DC, USA. georgeclerk Getty Images

The El Gamal family, which spent 10 months in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention before authorities released them on Thursday have now been taken back into custody and face imminent deportation, according to attorney Eric Lee.

Hayam El Gamal and her five children were released this week after nearly a year in federal custody when U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of the Western District of Texas ordered their release.

Lee, a family attorney, had confirmed the release in a call to NBC News on Thursday, but by Saturday he was raising the alarm on the family’s imminent deportation after federal authorities allegedly reversed course and took the family into detention again.

“THE EL GAMAL FAMILY WAS REDETAINED BY ICE MOMENTS AGO,” Lee wrote in a post on X. “ICE SAYS DEPORTATION IS IMMINENT. PLEASE ACTIVATE YOUR CONTACTS TO STOP THIS TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE FROM TAKING PLACE.”

Newsweek reached out to Lee and the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, by email on Saturday afternoon for comment.

This is a breaking news story. Updates will follow.

Washington DC, USA – A sign on the exterior of the building housing the US Department of Homeland Security in central Washington DC, USA.
Washington DC, USA – A sign on the exterior of the building housing the US Department of Homeland Security in central Washington DC, USA. georgeclerk Getty Images

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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 12:11 PM.

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