On Monday (Aug. 25), a group of leaders representing multiple religious traditions came together at the Ohio Statehouse to call on Gov. Mike DeWine to intervene in the detention and possible deportation of Ayman Soliman, a beloved imam and chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Like numerous other immigrants under the Trump administration, he was recently arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a scheduled check-in. Soliman was granted asylum status in 2018 after being jailed and tortured by the Egyptian government for his work as a journalist during the Arab Spring — so sending him back there could prove deadly.
Ayman Soliman, a former chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, who federal authorities are trying to deport. (Photo courtesy of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance.)
“His day job was serving families of all faiths at the hospital, and his other day job was serving the Islamic community in Cincinnati,” said Rev. Adam Allen of Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship, a former chaplain colleague who lost his job after attending a vigil for Soliman.
“Families of every religion have been touched in ways that only someone who is truly selfless with no sense of ego could do. Ayman is truly the example of someone that we want in this country. His advocacy for others, his selflessness, and his deep conviction and godly compassion are things that have impacted thousands of families, and thereby indirectly affected even more — countless families throughout this state and this country,” Allen added.
Khalid Turaani, the executive director of CAIR-Ohio, referenced the upcoming Semiquincentennial celebrations of the U.S. next year, emphasizing that the nation was founded as a refuge for people who were persecuted because of their faith.
“Imam Ayman Soliman came as an asylum seeker, but immediately he pivoted to providing counsel to other people, becoming a chaplain, giving people the best that humanity has to offer. Is arresting Ayman Soliman a representation of what this country was founded on?” Turaani asked those gathered. “I don’t believe it is, but this assembly of individuals from different creeds, different colors, different ethnicities, different backgrounds, that’s what America is about.”
Rev. Joel Miller of Columbus Mennonite Church similarly spoke about how some of the first Mennonites in Switzerland were heavily persecuted and viewed as a disease that threatened society. They had their land confiscated by the state, were drowned, burned at the stake, and forced to flee to other countries.
“We all have stories in our past of being on the move, of violence and oppression, of seeking refuge. Remembering who we are connects us to others for whom that story is happening right now,” said Miller. “That’s why we’re here today in support of Imam Soliman. He is both the Good Samaritan, the foreigner, who, as a chaplain, has tended to the needs of the hurt and even the dying, the very model of a neighbor. … Our faith absolutely compels us to treat the migrant as we would want to be treated — anything less would be a violation of a core command.”
Sister Gemma Doll speaks as other clergy stand behind her during a press conference in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on Aug. 25, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance)
Sister Gemma Doll, a nun with the Dominican Sisters of Peace, called on Gov. DeWine to live up to the principles of their shared Catholic faith.
“Every human person has the right to life, has a right to dignity, and that is not what Ayman is getting. He is being dismally treated, and it’s wrong. It’s morally wrong, and you know it. So please, in the name of God, stand up for this human life. You can make a difference,” Doll stated.
Other speakers included Victoria Hickox of Young United Souls for Revolutionary Action, Tala Ali of Clifton Mosque and the Cincinnati Islamic Association, and Jessie Heizer of Undivided, a Cincinnati nonprofit that works on racial justice issues.
On Tuesday (Aug. 26), Soliman has a hearing in the Cleveland Immigration Court on this case. He received a preliminary injunction from the U.S. District Court in Cincinnati last week that will prevent his deportation through early October. But the sheriff controlling the jail where Soliman is being held said he will defy a governor’s order for release if one were to occur.
After the press conference, the religious leaders delivered a letter signed by over 1,000 community leaders, families cared for by Soliman, clergy of numerous faiths, neighbors, friends, and fellow congregants to Gov. DeWine, pleading with him to take action.
“Governor, your intervention could turn despair into hope, silence into spiritual restoration, and save a beloved human life. We urge you to act swiftly and decisively,” it reads.
