ICE to crack down on visa overstays in wake of Boulder terror attack

The administration said in a press release the directive comes from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and is due to “the Biden administration’s failure to enforce the law.” — Image credit: Chet Strange/Getty Images

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Summary

Crackdown

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it is ramping up the review of visa overstays in the wake of a terror attack in Boulder, Colorado.

Suspect

The move comes after an Egyptian national, whom federal authorities said was a visa overstay, was arrested on charges related to setting eight people on fire at a pro-Israeli rally.

Suspect’s family

The suspect in the terror attack’s family is also in ICE custody and has been designated for “expedited removal,” according to the White House on Tuesday.

Full story

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday, June 4, that U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are enhancing efforts to “review immigration records” and will ramp up a “crackdown on visa overstays.”

New review in wake of terror attack

The administration said in a press release the directive comes from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and is due to “the Biden administration’s failure to enforce the law.” The notice also cited the recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, where at least eight Americans were set on fire by Egyptian national Mohammad Sabry Soliman.

Terror suspect allegedly overstayed visa

The move to review visa overstays comes in the wake of Soliman’s arrest. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed charges against him on Monday. The agency alleged the attack was against activists calling for the release of Israeli hostages. Investigators said that Soliman tossed gas bombs at the pro-Israeli demonstrators. He faces federal hate crime charges, as well as state charges for attempted murder in Colorado, according to the DOJ. Federal authorities said Soliman had been in the United States illegally since 2022.

Soliman was put into federal custody on Tuesday, June 3, and could reportedly be swiftly deported. Noem announced ICE had also taken Soliman’s family, who lived in Colorado Springs, into custody for overstaying a tourist visa and an expired work permit. The White House announced the family had been designated for “expedited removal” on Tuesday.

Noem’s statement

Noem issued a statement in relation to the ramped-up efforts to review visa overstays.

“There is NO room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers. Anyone who thinks they can come to America and advocate antisemitic violence and terrorism – think again. You are not welcome here. We will find you, deport you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” Noem said.

Cole Lauterbach (Managing Editor) and Lawrence Banton (Digital Producer) contributed to this report.

Tags: Department of Justice, ICE, Israel-Hamas War, Kristi Noem, Terrorist Attack, Trump administration, Visa

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, THAT U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER ENFORCEMENT, IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT AND U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES (USCIS) ARE ENHANCING EFFORTS TO “REVIEW IMMIGRATION RECORDS” AND WILL RAMP UP A “CRACKDOWN ON VISA OVERSTAYS.”

THE ADMINISTRATION SAID IN A PRESS RELEASE THE DIRECTIVE COMES FROM DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM AND IS DUE TO “THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S FAILURE TO ENFORCE THE LAW.” THE NOTICE ALSO CITED THE RECENT TERROR ATTACK IN BOULDER, COLORADO, WHERE AT LEAST EIGHT AMERICANS WERE SET ON FIRE BY EGYPTIAN NATIONAL MOHAMMAD SABRY SOLIMAN.

THE MOVE TO REVIEW VISA OVERSTAYS COMES IN THE WAKE OF THE ARREST OF SOLIMAN, 45, WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FILED CHARGES ON MONDAY AGAINST. THE AGENCY ALLEGED THE ATTACK WAS AGAINST ACTIVISTS CALLING FOR THE RELEASE OF ISRAELI HOSTAGES. INVESTIGATORS SAID THAT SOLIMAN TOSSED GAS BOMBS AT THE PRO-ISRAELI DEMONSTRATORS. HE FACES FEDERAL HATE CRIME CHARGES, AS WELL AS STATE CHARGES FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN COLORADO, ACCORDING TO THE DOJ. FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SAID SOLIMAN HAD BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES ILLEGALLY SINCE 2022.
SOLIMAN WAS PUT INTO FEDERAL CUSTODY ON TUESDAY, JUNE 3, AND COULD REPORTEDLY BE SWIFTLY DEPORTED. NOEM ANNOUNCED ICE HAD ALSO TAKEN SOLIMAN’S FAMILY, WHO LIVED IN COLORADO SPRINGS, INTO CUSTODY FOR OVERSTAYING A TOURIST VISA AND AN EXPIRED WORK PERMIT. THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCED THE FAMILY HAD BEEN DESIGNATED FOR “EXPEDITED REMOVAL” ON TUESDAY.

NOEM ISSUED A STATEMENT IN RELATION TO THE RAMPED UP EFFORTS TO REVIEW VISA OVERSTAYS.
“THERE IS NO ROOM IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD’S TERRORIST SYMPATHIZERS. ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY CAN COME TO AMERICA AND ADVOCATE ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM – THINK AGAIN. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. WE WILL FIND YOU, DEPORT YOU AND PROSECUTE YOU TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW,” NOEM SAID.

Why this story matters

Efforts by U.S. immigration authorities to intensify reviews of visa overstays following a recent attack highlight ongoing national security concerns and the government's response to challenges in immigration enforcement policy.

Visa overstays

Addressing visa overstays has become a priority for authorities due to concerns that individuals staying illegally in the U.S. could pose security risks, as referenced by the recent Boulder attack.

National security

The attack cited by officials has heightened attention to the potential links between immigration policy and public safety, prompting a policy response from the Department of Homeland Security.

Immigration enforcement

The government’s decision to increase action against visa overstays demonstrates a shift in enforcement priorities and reflects wider debates over the effectiveness of current immigration procedures.

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Synthesized coverage insights across 196 media outlets

Common ground

Across the articles, it is consistently reported that the attack in Boulder, Colorado, targeted a group raising awareness about Israeli hostages held in Gaza. There is broad agreement that the act involved incendiary devices, resulted in multiple injuries, and led to the arrest of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who is charged with hate crimes and attempted murder.

Context corner

The attack occurred against the backdrop of heightened tensions resulting from the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has led to increased antisemitic incidents globally. Historically, acts of violence targeting Jewish communities in the U.S. have prompted societal debate over both security and the intersection of anti-Zionism and antisemitism.

Policy impact

The case is likely to influence discussions on hate crime legislation, community security funding, and immigration policy. Leaders from various sectors advocate for policy actions to increase protection for vulnerable groups, improve law enforcement coordination, and reassess asylum and visa oversight processes.

Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame the Boulder attack chiefly as an antisemitic hate crime disrupting a peaceful pro-Israel rally, emphasizing humanitarian values and the attacker’s extremist motives without politicizing immigration; phrases like “bastion of humanitarianism” and “antisemitic nature” highlight a tone of moral urgency and social justice.
Media outlets in the center agreed on the attack’s terror classification and victim impact, revealing a shared acknowledgment of severity despite divergent ideological priorities rooted in broader cultural and political fault lines.
Media outlets on the right focus on the suspect’s immigration status, repeatedly labeling him an “illegal alien” and portraying the event as a “terrorist attack” enabled by the “ridiculous open border policy” of the Biden administration, employing accusatory and alarmist rhetoric to underscore border security failures.

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Media landscape

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196 total sources

Key points from the Left

Mohammed Sabry Soliman has been charged with a federal hate crime after injuring 12 people during an attack in Boulder, Colorado, where he used Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower.
The attack occurred during a demonstration for Israeli hostages in Gaza, highlighting rising tensions amid the ongoing conflict, which contributed to increased antisemitic violence in the U.S.
Authorities confirmed that Soliman planned the attack for over a year, targeting what he called a "Zionist group."
Soliman yelled "Free Palestine" while committing the violent act and confessed that he wanted to "kill all Zionist people," as stated in an FBI affidavit.

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Key points from the Center

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian citizen, launched a firebomb attack on a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder on June 1, 2025.
Soliman planned the attack for over a year and shifted from attempting to buy a gun to using Molotov cocktails after being blocked from firearm purchases.
The attack occurred as roughly 20 participants of Run for Their Lives rallied to support Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas in the October 2023 conflict.
Witnesses and police reported a 10-to-20-foot-long ring of fire injuring twelve people, with Soliman yelling antisemitic statements and throwing multiple firebombs.
Soliman faces federal hate crime charges that could result in life imprisonment, and authorities say he acted alone while living illegally in Colorado Springs.

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Key points from the Right

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old illegal alien from Egypt, has been charged with attempted murder and federal hate crimes after a violent attack in Boulder, Colorado.
Eight individuals, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor, were injured when Soliman allegedly used a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails at a pro-Israel gathering.
Federal prosecutors and the FBI classified the incident as a targeted act of terrorism, as Soliman reportedly shouted anti-Israel slogans during the attack.

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