UK journalist Sami Hamdi detained in US amid pro-Israel lobby pressure

British governmental commentator and writer Sami Hamdi has been detained by national authorities successful the United States successful what a US Muslim civilian rights radical has called an “abduction”.

The Council connected American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned Hamdi’s detention astatine San Francisco airdrome connected Sunday arsenic “a blatant affront to escaped speech”, attributing his apprehension to his disapproval of Israel’s warfare connected Gaza.

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Hamdi, a predominant professional of US and Israeli policy, had addressed a CAIR gala successful Sacramento connected Saturday evening and was owed to talk astatine different CAIR lawsuit successful Florida the adjacent time earlier his detention by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

CAIR said helium was stopped astatine the airdrome pursuing a coordinated “far-right, Israel First campaign”.

“Our federation indispensable halt abducting critics of the Israeli authorities astatine the behest of unhinged Israel First bigots,” it said successful a statement. “This is an Israel First policy, not an America First policy, and it indispensable end.”

In a connection seen by Al Jazeera, friends of Hamdi called his apprehension “a profoundly troubling precedent for state of look and the information of British citizens abroad”.

The connection called for the United Kingdom Foreign Office to “demand urgent clarification from the US authorities regarding the grounds for Mr Hamdi’s detention”.

Al Jazeera was told that helium remains successful US custody and has not been deported.

“The detention of a British national for expressing governmental opinions sets a unsafe precedent that nary ideology should tolerate,” the connection added.

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

“His stance connected Palestine is not aligned with immoderate faction there, but alternatively 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.

Earlier this morning, ICE agents abducted British Muslim writer and governmental commentator Sami Hamdi astatine San Francisco Airport, seemingly successful effect to his vocal disapproval of the Israeli authorities during his ongoing speaking tour.

We tin corroborate that Mr. Hamdi has not been… https://t.co/dfcVGvz6UX

— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) October 26, 2025

‘Proud Islamophobe’

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed Hamdi’s detention connected Sunday, claiming without grounds that helium posed a nationalist information threat. “This individual’s visa was revoked, and helium is successful ICE custody pending removal,” she wrote connected X.

Hamdi has been outspoken successful accusing US politicians of actively enabling Israel’s genocide successful Gaza, and has been wide quoted, challenging Western governments straight implicit arms transfers and diplomatic screen for Israeli warfare crimes.

His detention comes amid a wider signifier of US authorities blocking introduction to Palestinian and pro-Palestine voices.

In June, 2 Palestinian men, Awdah Hathaleen and his cousin, Eid Hathaleen, were denied introduction astatine the aforesaid airdrome and deported to Qatar. Weeks later, Awdah was reportedly killed by an Israeli settler successful the occupied West Bank.

Far-right activistic and state of US President Donald Trump, Laura Loomer, who has publically described herself arsenic a “proud Islamophobe” and “white advocate”, instantly celebrated online for playing a portion successful Hamdi’s detention.

“You’re fortunate his lone destiny is being arrested and deported,” she wrote, falsely branding him “a protagonist of HAMAS and the Muslim Brotherhood”.

Loomer has antecedently pushed conspiracy theories, including the assertion that the September 11 attacks successful the US were an wrong job.

Loomer and others credited the escalation against Hamdi to the RAIR Foundation, a pro-Israel unit web whose stated ngo is to reason “Islamic supremacy”. RAIR precocious accused Hamdi of trying to “expand a overseas governmental web hostile to American interests” and urged authorities to expel him from the country.

On Sunday, Shaun Maguire, a spouse astatine the tech concern steadfast Sequoia and a vocal defender of Israel, alleged without grounds that Hamdi had tried to get him fired done an AI-generated email campaign, claiming: “There are jihadists successful America whose afloat clip occupation is to soundlessness us.”

Hamdi’s supporters and civilian rights advocates accidental the other is true, and that this detention is yet different lawsuit of governmental retaliation against critics of Israel, enforced astatine the borderline level earlier a azygous nationalist connection is uttered.

CAIR says it intends to combat the deportation order, informing that the US is sending a chilling connection to Muslim and Palestinian speakers crossed the country.