British Journalist Sami Hamdi Released from US ICE Detention After More Than Two Weeks

British journalist and commentator Sami Hamdi is returning to the United Kingdom after spending over two weeks in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention. Hamdi, based in London, was detained at San Francisco International Airport on October 26, one day after speaking at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) California’s annual gala.

US authorities cited an overstayed visa as the reason for Hamdi’s detention. Hamdi and his legal team, however, maintain that he was in the US on a valid visa and that his detention was politically motivated, triggered by his commentary on Israel’s war in Gaza.

“I am profoundly grateful to my family, my legal team, and everyone who prayed, protested, and refused to be silent. Let the record show: I broke no law and posed no threat. My only ‘offense’ was speaking the unvarnished truth about the genocide in Gaza,” Hamdi said in a statement.

Hamdi described harsh conditions during his detention, including being confined in a small room with dozens of men, waiting over eight hours for medical attention, and being held in shackles despite never being charged with a crime.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously described Hamdi as “an illegal alien and terrorist sympathizer,” with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stating that ICE was arranging his removal from the country.

Hamdi’s family condemned the detention, noting the difficult conditions he endured. Hussam Ayloush, CAIR California CEO, criticized the arrest as an abuse of power and a threat to press freedom.

Hamdi is among several pro-Palestinian foreign nationals whose visas were revoked amid the US administration’s heightened scrutiny of individuals involved in activism related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.