Imam Ayman Soliman is a beloved pediatric chaplain, interfaith leader, peace advocate, and good neighbor who has called Cincinnati, Ohio, home for the past four years. He relocated here to work at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he served families from diverse backgrounds during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
In addition to his work at the hospital, Ayman has been a vital spiritual presence in Cincinnati. He has served as an imam at the Clifton Mosque, as a board member of the Islamic Association of Cincinnati, and as a member of national organizations including the Initiative on Islam & Medicine, the Association of Muslim Chaplains, the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America, and the North America Imams Federation.
Before coming to the United States, Ayman was active in journalism, humanitarian work, and faith community leadership in Egypt. When the Arab Spring began, he worked as a freelance journalist—work that drew the attention and hostility of the Egyptian government. After enduring imprisonment and torture, he fled in search of safety and arrived in the United States legally in 2014. In 2018, under the Trump administration, he was granted Political Asylum after a thorough vetting process.
While completing his Master of Divinity in Chaplaincy, Ayman was hired by the Oregon Department of Corrections. A background check initially flagged his name, but the FBI confirmed through fingerprinting that the flag had been a mistake.
In 2021, he accepted a chaplaincy position at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he served in the neonatal ICU and other units. His work crossed faith boundaries—he walked alongside families of all religious and non-religious backgrounds, offering comfort, prayers, and presence during times of unbearable grief. Ayman received multiple awards and commendations for his service. [Insert link to testimonials]
For Ayman, working with children has been bittersweet. He has not seen his own child since fleeing Egypt, when his son was just a toddler. Although his grant of asylum brought hope, the U.S. government never approved the documents needed to reunite him with his family. Desperate to hold his son and wife again, Ayman pursued a legal case to advance the process, but it was ultimately dismissed—leaving him heartbroken and still separated from his loved ones.
In December 2024, Ayman was informed that his Political Asylum had been revoked without explanation. As a result, he lost his legal right to work and was forced to leave his position at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital—a devastating blow both emotionally and financially.
Eventually, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) claimed his asylum was revoked due to alleged “terrorist affiliation” because he served for ten years on the board of Aljame'ya Alshare’ya, a well-known humanitarian organization in Egypt. Crucially, this organization is not listed as a terrorist group by either the American or Egyptian governments.
Even more disturbing, USCIS relied on an academic paper to support its claim—but the authors of that paper have since disavowed USCIS’s interpretation. Colleagues, patients, and religious leaders from across faith traditions have spoken out, affirming that these accusations are entirely inconsistent with Ayman’s life, work, and character.
On July 9th, 2025, while attending a scheduled ICE check-in, Ayman was unexpectedly detained and transferred to Butler County Jail in Ohio. Since his detention, he has faced harassment and was even placed in solitary confinement after advocating for the legal rights of fellow detainees.
An hour before his initial hearing, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dropped all terrorism-related claims—an important acknowledgment that should have ended the accusations against him. However, this sudden change has complicated his case, creating jurisdictional confusion over which court can rule on his status.
At a subsequent hearing—where two-thirds of his legal team were barred from participating—the government incorrectly alleged there was an outstanding arrest warrant for Ayman in Iraq, a country he has never set foot in. They later admitted this was a clerical error copied from another case, but the damage to Ayman’s process was already done.
Currently, a court order is in place preventing Ayman’s deportation. His next hearing is scheduled for September 3rd, 2025, to be held virtually with a Cleveland court.
The most significant date on the horizon is October 7th, 2025, when Ayman will appear before a Federal Judge in Cincinnati. This hearing will be critical in determining his future.