SAN FRANCISCO, 27 October (H.S.): British political commentator and journalist Sami Hamdi was detained by U.S. federal authorities at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday, October 26, 2025, in a move that civil rights groups are calling a politically motivated abduction and a direct assault on free speech.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) immediately condemned the detention, attributing it to a far-right, Israel First campaign designed to silence his criticism of the Israeli government’s war in Gaza.

Hamdi, a frequent and vocal critic of U.S. and Israeli policies, had just spoken at a CAIR gala in Sacramento on Saturday evening and was en route to another speaking engagement in Florida when he was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official confirmed his detention on Sunday, stating that his visa, which was revoked on October 24, had been canceled and that he was in ICE custody pending removal due to posing an alleged national security threat .

The detention was quickly celebrated online by far-right activist Laura Loomer, a self-described proud Islamophobe and ally of President Donald Trump. Loomer took credit for the action, claiming she had reported Hamdi to federal authorities over his documented support for Islamic terrorism.

Supporters of Hamdi and civil liberties advocates argue that his detention is part of a broader pattern of the U.S. government targeting critics of Israel.

In a statement, friends of Hamdi called the arrest a deeply troubling precedent for freedom of expression and urged the UK Foreign Office to demand an explanation from U.S. authorities. CAIR announced its intention to fight the deportation order, warning that the action sends a chilling message to Muslim and Palestinian speakers across the United States.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar