Colorado Springs, Colo. — A man accused of attacking a group of pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder is now facing both state and federal charges, including attempted murder and federal hate crime violations. Authorities have identified the suspect as 45-year-old Mohamad Soliman, an Egyptian national who has been living in El Paso County while his asylum application was pending.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Soliman entered the United States in August 2022 on a B-2 tourist visa. A month later, in September 2022, he filed for asylum—beginning what could be a years-long process due to significant backlogs in the immigration court system. His tourist visa expired in February 2023, but DHS records show he was granted work authorization the following month. That authorization has since lapsed.
Brandon Roche, an immigration attorney, explained that work authorizations issued during that time were typically valid for two years. “Toward the end of the Biden administration, work authorization was being granted for up to five years,” Roche noted. “But asylum itself can take five to six years to process.”
Soliman’s legal status has now become a critical aspect of the case, especially as the charges against him could permanently bar him from obtaining asylum. “Criminal activity is a bar to asylum,” Roche said. “Serious crimes, anything terrorist-related, or where the individual is considered a persecutor of others, are all absolute bars.”
The charges stem from an incident in Boulder during a pro-Israel demonstration, which authorities say turned violent when Soliman allegedly attacked demonstrators. Specific details of the attack have not yet been released, but prosecutors have indicated that hate crime statutes were applied based on the targeting of the demonstrators’ perceived national origin or beliefs.
If convicted, Soliman could face life in prison.
According to data from the American Immigration Council, over one million asylum applications were pending in U.S. immigration courts as of December 2024. Officials say Soliman’s case underscores the legal and procedural complexities involved in immigration enforcement, especially when national security or hate crime allegations emerge.
DHS has not commented on whether Soliman’s asylum application will be formally denied, but legal experts say a conviction on the charges could automatically disqualify him.
The investigation remains ongoing.
