Colorado Democrats passed a law shielding illegal immigrants from ICE just weeks before an Egyptian national on an expired visa launched a terror attack against pro-Israel demonstrators with a Molotov cocktail.
Key Takeaways
- Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa, attacked a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, in what the FBI has classified as a terrorist attack.
- Weeks before the attack, Colorado Democrats passed legislation prohibiting law enforcement from honoring ICE detainer requests and imposing fines up to $50,000 on those who cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
- The new Colorado law diverts fines collected from violators to fund a state-run deportation defense program that provides free legal services to illegal immigrants facing deportation.
- Operation Patriot, the largest ICE operation in history, recently arrested 1,461 illegal immigrants with criminal records in Massachusetts, highlighting the challenges posed by sanctuary jurisdictions.
- Critics, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, have linked the Biden administration’s immigration policies to increased public safety risks following the Boulder attack.
Colorado’s Anti-ICE Law and the Boulder Terror Attack
The recent terror attack at a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, has exposed the dangerous consequences of state policies designed to obstruct federal immigration enforcement. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa, targeted what he called “zionists” with a homemade incendiary device. What makes this case particularly troubling is the timing: just weeks before the attack, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed legislation specifically designed to shield illegal immigrants from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detection and deportation.
This new law, championed by Colorado Democrats, creates multiple barriers to immigration enforcement by prohibiting state and local law enforcement from honoring ICE detainer requests, restricting data sharing with federal authorities, and imposing severe financial penalties on those who cooperate with ICE. The legislation goes beyond simply limiting cooperation to actively punishing compliance with federal immigration authorities, with fines reaching up to $50,000 per violation.
Funding Deportation Defense with Compliance Fines
Perhaps most concerning is where the money from these fines goes. The Colorado law directs penalty funds to the state’s Immigration Legal Defense Fund, which provides free legal services to illegal immigrants facing deportation proceedings. This creates a perverse incentive structure where cooperation with federal law enforcement is penalized, and those penalties directly fund efforts to prevent the deportation of illegal immigrants, including those with criminal records.
“One of the reasons why I appreciate this bill so much is that it is one of few that is really taking seriously the crisis that the federal administration poses for immigrants in particular and for marginalized people generally,” said Democrat state representative Yara Zokaie.
The Boulder attack highlights the real-world consequences of policies that prioritize protecting illegal immigrants over public safety. Soliman, who reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” during his attack, was able to remain in the country despite overstaying his visa. The Biden administration’s lax enforcement policies, combined with Colorado’s new obstacles to ICE operations, created an environment where this individual could remain undetected until committing an act of terrorism.
ICE Operation Highlights Sanctuary City Dangers
The challenges posed by sanctuary jurisdictions were further illustrated by Operation Patriot, the largest ICE operation in history, which recently concluded in Massachusetts. This massive enforcement action resulted in the arrest of 1,461 illegal immigrants with criminal convictions or pending charges, including murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, and child sex predators. The operation required bringing in ICE teams from across the country and coordination with the FBI, DEA, and ATF because Massachusetts’ sanctuary policies made local cooperation impossible.
“If sanctuary cities would change their policies and turn these violent criminal aliens over to us into our custody instead of releasing them into the public, we would not have to go out to the communities and do this,” said acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.
Massachusetts resident Jon Fetherston correctly observed that sanctuary policies make communities “not only unsafe for ICE agents, it’s unsafe for all of us.” This sentiment is proving tragically accurate in Colorado, where new anti-ICE legislation created additional barriers to identifying and removing potential threats like Soliman before they could commit violent acts.
Federal Response and Political Fallout
The Boulder attack has intensified criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policies. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller directly linked the attack to federal policy failures, stating: “A terror attack was committed in Boulder, Colorado by an illegal alien. He was granted a tourist visa by the Biden Administration and then he illegally overstayed that visa. In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit. Suicidal migration must be fully reversed.”
While mainstream media outlets and some CNN pundits have attempted to downplay the terrorist nature of the attack, the FBI has clearly classified it as a targeted terror attack. This incident, along with other violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants that receive little coverage, is fueling growing dissatisfaction among voters with current immigration policies. As President Trump prepares to implement comprehensive immigration reforms, the Boulder attack serves as a stark reminder of the consequences when state policies deliberately obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts and place political ideology above public safety.
