CINCINNATI — Days after he was taken into ICE custody, former Cincinnati Children's chaplain Ayman Soliman remained hopeful about his case while speaking to friend and coworker, Lizzy Diop.
Diop, also a chaplain at Cincinnati Children's, said she was able to visit and speak with Soliman Sunday at the Butler County Jail, four days after a routine check-in at the Blue Ash ICE facility changed his life.
"He said, 'I wouldn’t trade the last four days for anything.' This wasn’t what I wanted, but the last four days ... like he’s gotten to be ministered to and minister to others," said Diop.
Learn how Diop's conversation with Soliman went as he remains at the Butler County Jail:
Soliman arrived in the U.S. from Egypt over a decade ago, applying for asylum. In June 2018, his asylum claim was approved. However, his attorneys said his status began to change during the final months of the Biden administration.
In December 2024, Soliman was notified that the process to revoke his asylum status was beginning. By early June 2025, his asylum was officially revoked. He had an immigration hearing scheduled for July 3 that was then rescheduled before he received a notice about a check-in on Wednesday, July 9. During that check-in, his attorneys said Soliman was taken into custody.
"He was so hopeful, he’s such a hopeful guy that we thought maybe at this next meeting to talk about his asylum case, that would be approved, and he could quickly come back to work," said Diop.
Soliman has no criminal history. According to federal court records, he has filed multiple lawsuits against the federal government. In one lawsuit, he says he had a job offer rescinded because a background check came back with an FBI flag. In the lawsuit, Soliman claims his fingerprints did not match prints recorded in the government's terrorism screening database.
In the days following the ICE detention of Soliman, hundreds in the community have shown their support for him.
"I just want people to know that the person that you’re hearing described is the person that I know," said Diop.
Diop added that Soliman said it was hard going in, and he was confused because he’s never been in a detention center before. She highlighted a story Soliman told her about another detainee giving him chips when he couldn’t figure out the vending machine.
"He used that as an example that he’s with the most compassionate people he’s ever been with," said Diop.
According to Congressman Greg Landsman, Soliman can stay in Ohio "for the time being" ahead of his immigration case. But Diop is still worried he could be moved at some point, or worse.
"Ultimately, my fear is that he’ll be sent back to Egypt and killed," said Diop.
In an interview with state Rep. Munira Abdullahi before going into his check-in, Soliman shared that same fear.
"If anything happens ... going back to Egypt for me is a death sentence," Soliman said to Abdullahi.
Diop says one of Soliman’s wishes is for people to say his name and continue to fight against injustice, and the community has done just that. Since his detention, there have been two protests and two letters of support circulating for Soliman. One of the letters is from local clergy, with nearly 500 signatures, and the other is from fellow health care workers.
We asked Diop how Soliman feels about all the community support.
"It means a lot to him, I think he feels seen and cared for," said Diop. "That’s the thing that he needs right now, to know that we’ve got his back."
