Texas Immigration Detainee, Mother of Five, Hospitalized; Sparks Urgent Release Calls
Hayman El Gamal, a mother of five held at the Dilley immigration detention center in Texas, was taken to an emergency room after reporting severe chest pain. Her attorney, Eric Lee, says she had sought medical attention for an abnormal chest mass for weeks. Court filings filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas detail the case.
Medical timeline and findings
El Gamal first reported pain and the lump in mid-February. She requested a CT scan on Feb. 21, according to detention center forms. A follow-up at Dilley on March 12 reportedly revealed that a referral for an off-site CT had been overruled by higher-ups.
After prolonged pleading, El Gamal was taken to an off-site emergency room on April 9. A CT chest without contrast detected fluid around her heart, known as pericardial effusion. Emergency staff recommended further imaging, including an ultrasound, which lawyers say was not approved by DHS, ICE, or CoreCivic.
Independent medical reviews
Attorney Eric Lee commissioned independent reviews from three physicians. Dr. Amy Zeidan, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Emory University, said a contrast CT would have been preferable. She recommended an echocardiogram, cardiology referral, labs for abdominal pain, a gastroenterology consult, and ultrasound of the chest mass.
Dr. Virginia Reddy, a rheumatologist at the North Texas Center for Rheumatology, advised testing for autoimmune conditions such as lupus. She warned that early diagnosis is crucial to prevent permanent organ damage. Dr. Christopher Merrick, chief of medical staff at University of Colorado Health Memorial Hospital, noted the risk of peptic ulcer disease worsened by medications like ibuprofen and prednisone.
Detention history and legal efforts
El Gamal and her five children were detained on June 3 after the arrest of the children’s father, Mohamed Sabry Soliman. Soliman is charged in connection with a fatal firebomb attack in Colorado and accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at demonstrators. Authorities are seeking to deport the family.
The family has been held at Dilley for more than ten months. That makes them the longest-held family at the facility, according to Lee. Court-ordered limits on child detention, set by a prior settlement, require children not be held more than 20 days. The family’s continued detention raises compliance concerns.
Lee has sought release options. At an April 14 court meeting he requested the family be released with ankle monitors and daily ICE check-ins. He also asked that El Gamal be reunited with her oldest daughter, Habiba Soliman, who was separated from the family when she turned 18. DHS attorneys opposed the requested release.
Previous court decisions
The family has challenged detention in multiple courts. A federal judge halted an attempt to fast-track their deportation after a White House social post. An immigration judge once granted bond in September, but the Board of Immigration Appeals later overturned that decision. A subsequent bond hearing reversed a prior finding that the family posed no flight risk.
Facility responses and family accounts
CoreCivic, which manages Dilley, said it could not comment specifically because of litigation and medical privacy. The company also stated that Dilley’s medical staff includes board-certified physicians and registered nurses. DHS and ICE did not respond to requests for comment on the filings and allegations.
Family members describe repeated denials and minimal treatment. Notes from facility medical visits reportedly show El Gamal was reassured, given ibuprofen, and advised to avoid heavy lifting. She was also denied access to her own medical records, Lee says.
Habiba Soliman, who was detained with her family until she turned 18, said the center delayed adequate intervention. She described a broken X-ray machine and limited initial care for a younger brother’s appendicitis. The teen later underwent surgery in July, the family says.
Urgent medical and public concerns
Independent doctors warned that El Gamal’s condition could stem from cancer, autoimmune disease, or cardiac problems. They stressed the need for urgent diagnostic workups and specialty referrals. Her pain was described as extreme; she rated it above the typical scale when finally taken to the ER.
The situation has prompted broader calls for action. Advocates and attorneys argue that a Texas immigration detainee who is a mother of five was hospitalized under troubling circumstances. Those concerns have intensified urgent release calls to ensure timely care and family stability.
Filmogaz.com will continue to monitor court filings and agency responses in this case.
