It was supposed to be a routine check-in. Imam Ayman Soliman reported to ICE at the appointed time, accompanied by his lawyer, paperwork, and letters of reference. As an asylum seeker who has lived and worked in this country for the past 11 1/2 years, Soliman knew the drill. But things quickly took a dark turn. Although he has no criminal record, Soliman found himself being questioned by the FBI about political parties in his native Egypt. After three hours, Soliman’s lawyer emerged without him. Soliman was being detained and facing possible deportation. Soliman’s friends hastily called a press conference, which took place at 3 pm, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, just outside the local ICE headquarters located in an industrial park in Blue Ash.
Three o’clock coincides with ‘Asr, the afternoon prayers for Muslims. So we began with the muezzin and a moment of devotion. As the imam for the Clifton Mosque, Soliman is a highly regarded figure in his community and beyond. Tala Ali, the Chair of the Clifton Mosque, described Soliman as “a pillar of the Muslim community.” A friend to faiths beyond his own, Soliman’s supporters included several Christian pastors as well as Rabbi Ari Jun-Ballaban of Temple Sholom.
At the press conference, we heard from members of the Ohio House of Representatives and others who spoke passionately about both their esteem for Imam Soliman and for greater justice in our society.
“The system has failed you,” said Rep. Karen Brownlee (D-Dist. 28). “We are at a point today where people are afraid to leave their homes.”
“This is not the democracy that America has promised,” said Munira Abdullah (D-Dist. 9). “This is not the America that I know as a fellow refugee. This is not justice.”
Khalid Turani, the executive director of CAIR for Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton, talked about Soliman’s work as chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he was particularly involved in the Neonatal Unit. He described how Imam Ayman was there to comfort people, sometimes on their last day on Earth.
“They were telling us they were detaining gangsters and drug dealers, but now they’re detaining faith leaders,” Turani said.
If deported back to Egypt, Soliman fears that he will be “disappeared” by the government. Soliman’s friends were tight-lipped about why he sought asylum, only that he feared for his life. Although Egypt is an ally, it is not a difficult place to make powerful enemies, especially for someone who feels duty-bound to speak up for others.
Soliman’s story is unsettling, but far from unique. On an almost daily basis, there are stories of immigrants being rounded up and detained by ICE. They are not just deporting criminals. They are going after day laborers at Home Depot. They are raiding slaughterhouses and family farms.
Even legal aliens, whose immigration status is pending as the wheels of bureaucracy slowly turn, are finding themselves on the wrong side of the system. Protected status is vanishing, and claims are being denied without explanation.
All of this raises the question: What is our nation becoming? Do we mean it when we pledge allegiance to the Republic “with liberty and justice for all”?
