The 35-year-old was detained at the San Francisco airport. Hamdi, who is Muslim, has been touring the United States and on Saturday spoke at the annual gala of the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Sacramento, California.
Why was Sami Hamdi detained?
What were the reasons for canceling Hamdi's visa?
Where was Sami Hamdi's lecture held?
Who called for the journalist's release?
— ICE agents abducted British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi this morning at the San Francisco airport, apparently in response to his sharp criticism of the Israeli government during a lecture series, CAIR said on Sunday, calling for the journalist's release.
The journalist criticized Israel
A senior official said the decision was taken on Friday to revoke Hamdi's visa following a report regarding his past and present statements about the Middle East. He did not specify what comments he was referring to.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Homeland Security announced that he would be deported.
The AP noted that Hamdi often criticizes Israel and the war in the Gaza Strip. His critics accuse him of supporting the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The agency emphasized that the detention of the British journalist is the latest example of the US administration's efforts to detect and – potentially – expel from the country thousands of foreigners who, according to the authorities, took part in the riots, incited them or publicly supported protests against Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip.
