One senior U.S. official stated the detention was associated to feedback he has made concerning the Middle East.
Mr. Hamdi, who’s Muslim, was on a talking tour within the U.S. and on Saturday (October 25, 2025) had addressed the annual gala for the Sacramento, California, chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.
“Earlier this morning, ICE brokers kidnapped British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi at San Francisco Airport, apparently in response to his vocal criticism of the Israeli authorities throughout his ongoing talking tour,” the group stated in a social media submit on Sunday (October 25, 2025).
The detention is the newest within the Trump administration’s ramped up efforts to establish and probably expel hundreds of foreigners within the United States who it says have both fomented or participated in unrest or publicly supported protests towards Israel’s army operations in Gaza. The administration has additionally denied visas to candidates whose social media histories have been important of its insurance policies.
Those actions have been criticised by civil rights teams as violations of constitutional protections for freedom of speech, which apply to anybody within the United States and never simply to American residents.
It was not instantly clear what particular feedback triggered Mr. Hamdi’s detention.
Group requires Hamdi’s instant launch
CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim advocacy organisation, known as for Mr. Hamdi’s instant launch. The group stated Mr. Hamdi, 35, has not been deported and stays in U.S. custody.
After being alerted to his previous and present statements associated to the Middle East, a call to revoke Mr. Hamdi’s visa was made on Friday (October 24, 2025), in keeping with the senior U.S. official. The official didn’t specify what feedback.
The official additionally stated Mr. Hamdi was travelling within the United States on a customer visa and never underneath the Visa Waiver Program, which he could have been eligible for as a British citizen.
The official, who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate inner deliberations, couldn’t communicate to why it had taken a number of days to find and detain him.
Mr. Hamdi, a political commentator who usually speaks out towards Israel and the warfare in Gaza, is described on his LinkedIn profile as managing director of The International Interest, a danger and intelligence consulting group. It didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin indicated on social media on Sunday (October 26, 2025) that Mr. Hamdi’s “visa was revoked and he’s in ICE custody pending removing.” ICE stated in an announcement that Mr. Hamdi entered the U.S. on October 19 on a customer visa.
“The State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs revoked Mr. Hamdi’s visa October 24, 2025, efficient instantly. ICE detained Mr. Hamdi, as he was illegally within the nation, and he shall be positioned in immigration proceedings,” ICE stated.
A lawyer for Mr. Hamdi couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.
Scheduled to talk at one other occasion
In response to questions on Monday (October 27, 2025) about his case, Homeland Security despatched a hyperlink to a State Department submit on X Sunday (October 26, 2025) thanking the Homeland Security for its efforts to take away Mr. Hamdi.
The State Department assertion didn’t particularly say what Mr. Hamdi had stated or completed that initiated the revocation, however stated: “The United States has no obligation to host foreigners” who the administration deems to “assist terrorism and actively undermine the protection of Americans. We proceed to revoke the visas of individuals engaged in such exercise.”
Critics accuse Mr. Hamdi of praising Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assaults in feedback he made in a video posted on-line shortly after the warfare in Gaza erupted. He has denied that, saying he wasn’t celebrating violence.
“No one is saying October 7 was proper. People are saying October 7 was a pure consequence of the oppression that’s being placed on the Palestinians,” he stated in a February 2024 speech hosted by the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council.
Britain’s Foreign Office stated it was “in touch with the household of a British man detained within the USA and is in contact with the native authorities.”
Mr. Hamdi was scheduled to talk at a CAIR occasion in Florida on Sunday (October 26, 2025).
As a part of its intensifying enforcement efforts, the administration has expelled South Africa’s ambassador to the United States for feedback important of President Donald Trump, revoked a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the UN General Assembly and yanked the visas for British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan. It stated it’s reviewing the standing of the greater than 55 million present U.S. visa holders for potential violations of its requirements.
