A man originally from Egypt, accused of injuring 12 people during a demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, is reportedly among the numerous individuals who extend their stay in the U.S. beyond their visa expiration each year. This individual, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, relocated from Egypt to Colorado Springs accompanied by his wife and five children after residing in Kuwait for 17 years, as revealed by state court documents.
Soliman made his U.S. entry in August 2022 using a tourist visa that expired in February 2023. According to Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Soliman sought asylum in September 2022 and subsequently received work authorization in March 2023, though this too has since expired. Further inquiries about his status remain unanswered by the department.
Federal immigration officials detained Soliman’s family on Tuesday. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that investigations are ongoing to determine if his family was aware of his alleged plans.
In terms of overstays, there were 565,155 instances from October 2022 to September 2023 involving individuals entering by air or sea. This number surpasses the population of metro areas like Reno, Nevada, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. However, the actual count is likely higher, as land crossing data remains unquantified due to logistical challenges at these points.
The overstay rate for Egyptians holding business or tourist visas stood at 4% in 2023, a figure notably lower than certain other countries, such as Chad with 49%, Laos with 34%, and Sudan with 26%. Historically, experts estimate about 40% of illegal immigrants in the U.S. are overstayed visa holders, though precise statistics are sparse.
Regarding Soliman’s work permit acquisition, while Homeland Security has not specified details, asylum seekers typically qualify for work authorization 180 days post-arrival, which aligns with Soliman’s March 2023 work permit issue following his August 2022 entry. Critics argue that the relatively easy access to work permits for asylum seekers could incentivize weak asylum claims, exacerbating the backlog of approximately 3.6 million pending immigration cases.
This system has also generated discord with long-term undocumented residents regarding the ease of obtaining work authorization. Immigration court records are sealed, so the status of Soliman’s asylum request remains speculative. For Egyptians, the success rate for asylum applications was 72% for the year ending September 2024, which is notably higher than the overall 45% approval rate across all nationalities, according to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.