U.S. immigration authorities have detained British political commentator Sami Hamdi and revoked his visa, halting his national speaking tour and prompting outrage from civil rights advocates who accuse the Trump administration of targeting critics of Israel.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson confirmed on Sunday that Hamdi is in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will be deported.
“Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X.
Hamdi, a frequent analyst on British television networks, had been scheduled to speak at a Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) event in Florida on Sunday after appearing at the organization’s gala in Sacramento, California, the previous evening. CAIR said he was detained at San Francisco International Airport before his next flight.
CAIR condemned the detention, calling it politically motivated and an “affront to free speech.”
In a statement, the group said, “Abducting a prominent British Muslim journalist and political commentator on a speaking tour in the United States because he dared to criticize the Israeli government’s genocide is a blatant affront to free speech.”
CAIR’s deputy director, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, said the organization’s lawyers had been unable to contact Hamdi as of Sunday evening. He added that Hamdi has repeatedly denied any support for militant groups.
Conservative activists had urged the Trump administration to bar Hamdi from entering the U.S. Far-right commentator Laura Loomer publicly took credit for prompting his arrest.
The incident comes amid a broader Trump administration crackdown on immigration and foreign visitors, including expanded social media vetting and visa revocations for individuals accused of supporting Palestinians or criticizing Israel.
Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, launched after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks, has drawn widespread condemnation. The U.N. last month accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation Israel strongly denies.
CAIR said it would continue pressing for Hamdi’s release and warned that his detention marks a dangerous precedent for free expression and dissent in the United States.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
