British journalist Sami Hamdi to be freed from ICE detention, lawyers say

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Hamdi's lawyers accidental helium was detained for his pro-Palestinian views and lone accused of overstaying his visa aft it was revoked without warning.

Published On 11 Nov 2025

British writer and pro-Palestine commentator Sami Hamdi is acceptable to instrumentality location much than 2 weeks aft helium was imprisoned by US migration authorities, his woman and ineligible representatives said connected Monday.

Hamdi, 35, was stopped astatine San Francisco planetary airdrome successful California connected October 26, and detained by agents from the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) bureau mid-way done a speaking circuit discussing Israel’s warfare connected Gaza.

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Hassan M Ahmad, a lawyer from the California section of the Council connected American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), and the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) said successful a connection connected Monday that the writer and commentator was punished for his disapproval of Israel during his US speaking circuit and not for immoderate alleged wrongdoing.

“It is this simple: Sami ne'er should person spent a azygous nighttime successful an ICE cell,” Hussam Ayloush, the CEO of CAIR’s California chapter, said successful a statement.

“His lone existent ‘offense’ was speaking intelligibly astir Israel’s genocidal warfare crimes against Palestinians.”

“The migration charging papers filed successful his lawsuit alleged lone a visa overstay—after the authorities revoked his visa without origin and without anterior notice—and ne'er identified immoderate transgression behaviour oregon information grounds,” Hamdi’s ineligible representatives said successful the associated statement.

Hamdi’s wife, Soumaya Hamdi, welcomed the quality successful a bid of posts connected societal media, saying, “Sami is coming home, alhamdullilah. Elated doesn’t statesman to picture the feeling.”

She besides expressed her “heartfelt gratitude” to the “countless fantastic people” who offered assistance during her husband’s detention.

A fig of institutions raised concerns astir Hamdi’s treatment, including his erstwhile university, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) successful London, and state of look organisation PEN America.

By contrast, immoderate radical openly advocated for Hamdi to beryllium detained, including far-right activistic and Donald Trump state Laura Loomer, who celebrated Hamdi’s detention and repeatedly claimed helium was going to beryllium deported, without citing her sources.

Loomer, a self-described “proud Islamophobe”, also accused Hamdi of supporting Islamic terrorism, without providing immoderate evidence.

Responding to allegations astir his son, Hamdi’s father, Mohamed El-Hachmi Hamdi, said successful a station connected X that helium “has nary affiliation” with immoderate governmental oregon spiritual group.

“His stance connected Palestine is not aligned with immoderate faction there, but rather, with the people’s close to security, peace, state and dignity. He is, rather simply, 1 of the young dreamers of this generation, yearning for a satellite with much compassion, justice, and solidarity,” helium added.

The medication of US President Donald Trump has targeted a fig of pro-Palestinian advocates, adjacent arsenic it has besides worked to mediate a precarious truce statement betwixt Israel and Hamas successful Gaza.

Those targeted see Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian erstwhile pupil of Columbia University. who continues to face challenges to his US migration presumption aft being freed from detention successful June.

Israel’s warfare connected Gaza has killed astatine slightest 68,875 Palestinians and wounded 170,679 since October 2023, successful what an autarkic United Nations committee of inquiry and aggregate quality rights organisations person labelled arsenic a genocide.

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