Sami Hamdi, a London-based journalist, will return to the U.K. after being detained by U.S. immigration authorities on Oct. 26, one day after speaking at a CAIR California event. Hamdi and his lawyers say he had a valid visa and was targeted for his commentary on Israel’s war in Gaza; officials say he overstayed his visa. He described "harsh" detention conditions, including long medical delays and being shackled; his family said he was held 18 days among 80–90 others. DHS called for his removal while civil-rights groups condemned the detention as an abuse of power.
British Journalist Sami Hamdi to Return to UK After ICE Detention, Family and Advocates Decry Treatment
Sami Hamdi, a London-based journalist, will return to the U.K. after being detained by U.S. immigration authorities on Oct. 26, one day after speaking at a CAIR California event. Hamdi and his lawyers say he had a valid visa and was targeted for his commentary on Israel’s war in Gaza; officials say he overstayed his visa. He described "harsh" detention conditions, including long medical delays and being shackled; his family said he was held 18 days among 80–90 others. DHS called for his removal while civil-rights groups condemned the detention as an abuse of power.
03:21 PM, 11/13/2025Politics
British journalist Sami Hamdi to return to UK after ICE detention
London-based journalist and commentator Sami Hamdi will return to the United Kingdom on Thursday after being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for more than two weeks, his legal team said in a statement.
Hamdi was detained at San Francisco International Airport on October 26, one day after speaking at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) California annual gala. Officials said he was held for allegedly overstaying his U.S. visa; Hamdi and his lawyers say he was in the country on a valid visa and contend his detention was politically motivated because of his commentary on Israel’s war in Gaza.
Hamdi: "I am profoundly grateful to my family, my legal team and every individual in the global community 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 described the conditions in ICE custody as "harsh," saying he was held in a small room with dozens of other men, forced to wait more than eight hours for medical care, and kept in shackles despite never being charged with a crime. His family said he was detained for 18 days and held among 80–90 other people in poor conditions.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told CNN that ICE was "happily arranging [Hamdi's] removal from the country," and an assistant secretary labeled him an "illegal alien and terrorist sympathizer," adding that the administration would not allow those who "support terrorism" to work or visit the U.S. CAIR and other civil rights advocates have condemned the detention as an abuse of power and a threat to press freedom.
CNN contacted ICE and DHS for comment. The case is one of several involving foreign nationals whose visas were revoked in the context of pro-Palestinian activism earlier this year.
Context: Hamdi is known for analysis and commentary on Middle East affairs and regularly appears on British television. His legal team says he is leaving the U.S. voluntarily.