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Sami Hamdi, a British governmental commentator, was being held connected Monday (October 27, 2025) by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement aft helium was detained by ICE officers astatine San Francisco International Airport, according to national officials.
One elder U.S. authoritative said the detention was related to comments helium has made astir the Middle East.
Mr. Hamdi, who is Muslim, was connected a speaking circuit successful the U.S. and connected Saturday (October 25, 2025) had addressed the yearly gala for the Sacramento, California, section of the Council connected American-Islamic Relations, oregon CAIR.
“Earlier this morning, ICE agents abducted British Muslim writer and governmental commentator Sami Hamdi astatine San Francisco Airport, seemingly successful effect to his vocal disapproval of the Israeli authorities during his ongoing speaking tour,” the radical said successful a societal media station connected Sunday (October 25, 2025).
The detention is the latest successful the Trump administration's ramped up efforts to place and perchance expel thousands of foreigners successful the United States who it says person either fomented oregon participated successful unrest oregon publically supported protests against Israel's subject operations successful Gaza. The medication has besides denied visas to applicants whose societal media histories person been captious of its policies.
Those actions person been criticised by civilian rights groups arsenic violations of law protections for state of speech, which use to anyone successful the United States and not conscionable to American citizens.
It was not instantly wide what circumstantial comments triggered Mr. Hamdi's detention.
Group calls for Hamdi's contiguous release
CAIR, the nation's largest Muslim advocacy organisation, called for Mr. Hamdi's contiguous release. The radical said Mr. Hamdi, 35, has not been deported and remains successful U.S. custody.
After being alerted to his past and existent statements related to the Middle East, a determination to revoke Mr. Hamdi's visa was made connected Friday (October 24, 2025), according to the elder U.S. official. The authoritative did not specify what comments.
The authoritative besides said Mr. Hamdi was travelling successful the United States connected a visitant visa and not nether the Visa Waiver Program, which helium whitethorn person been eligible for arsenic a British citizen.
The official, who spoke connected information of anonymity to sermon interior deliberations, could not talk to wherefore it had taken respective days to find and detain him.
Mr. Hamdi, a governmental commentator who often speaks retired against Israel and the warfare successful Gaza, is described connected his LinkedIn illustration arsenic managing manager of The International Interest, a hazard and quality consulting group. It did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin indicated connected societal media connected Sunday (October 26, 2025) that Mr. Hamdi's “visa was revoked and helium is successful ICE custody pending removal.” ICE said successful a connection that Mr. Hamdi entered the U.S. connected October 19 connected a visitant visa.
“The State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs revoked Mr. Hamdi's visa October 24, 2025, effectual immediately. ICE detained Mr. Hamdi, arsenic helium was illegally successful the country, and helium volition beryllium placed successful migration proceedings,” ICE said.
A lawyer for Mr. Hamdi could not instantly beryllium reached for comment.
Scheduled to talk astatine different event
In effect to questions connected Monday (October 27, 2025) astir his case, Homeland Security sent a nexus to a State Department station connected X Sunday (October 26, 2025) thanking the Homeland Security for its efforts to region Mr. Hamdi.
The State Department connection did not specifically accidental what Mr. Hamdi had said oregon done that initiated the revocation, but said: “The United States has nary work to big foreigners" who the medication deems to "support coercion and actively undermine the information of Americans. We proceed to revoke the visas of persons engaged successful specified activity.”
Critics impeach Mr. Hamdi of praising Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks successful comments helium made successful a video posted online soon aft the warfare successful Gaza erupted. He has denied that, saying helium wasn't celebrating violence.
“No 1 is saying October 7 was right. People are saying October 7 was a earthy effect of the oppression that is being enactment connected the Palestinians,” helium said successful a February 2024 code hosted by the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council.
Britain's Foreign Office said it was “in interaction with the household of a British antheral detained successful the USA and is successful interaction with the section authorities.”
Mr. Hamdi was scheduled to talk astatine a CAIR lawsuit successful Florida connected Sunday (October 26, 2025).
As portion of its intensifying enforcement efforts, the medication has expelled South Africa's ambassador to the United States for comments captious of President Donald Trump, revoked a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to be the UN General Assembly and yanked the visas for British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan. It said it is reviewing the presumption of the much than 55 cardinal existent U.S. visa holders for imaginable violations of its standards.
