Why has ICE detained British commentator Sami Hamdi on his US speaking tour?

By Christian Edwards, CNN

(CNN) — British commentator Sami Hamdi was detained on Sunday by federal immigration officers during a speaking tour in the United States, in what a Muslim advocacy group said was retaliation for his criticism of Israel.

The Trump administration said its decision to detain Hamdi and revoke his visa underscores that the US has no obligation to host foreigners “who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans.”

But the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called Hamdi’s treatment a “blatant affront to free speech” and called for his release.

Here’s what we know.

Who is Hamdi?

Hamdi is a journalist and commentator who appears on British TV networks to analyze developments in the Middle East. Recently, he has spoken about the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza and international plans for the post-war governance of the enclave.

Based in London, Hamdi also writes about UK foreign policy and domestic politics. According to his social media, Hamdi regularly goes on speaking tours and has recently traveled to Malaysia, Turkey and South Africa, as well as the US.

He is also editor-in-chief of International Interest, a political risk consultancy in London.

When was he detained?

Hamdi was detained Sunday morning at San Francisco International Airport by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, CAIR said in a statement.

On Saturday, Hamdi had spoken at CAIR’s annual gala in Sacramento, California, and had been due to speak at the gala of CAIR Florida the next day.

CAIR said its lawyers were “working to address this injustice.” and called on ICE to release him.

“Abducting a prominent British Muslim journalist and political commentator on a speaking tour in the United States because he dared to criticize the Israeli government’s genocide is a blatant affront to free speech,” CAIR said.

Israel’s war in Gaza, launched after Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has killed more than 68,000 people and reduced much of the enclave to rubble. Israel says its offensive has targeted Hamas and that it takes measures to avoid killing civilians, but a United Nations inquiry last month concluded for the first time that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel denies the allegation.

Why now?

Laura Loomer, a conservative activist with a direct line to Trump, said Hamdi’s arrest came after her “relentless pressure” on the State Department and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In a series of posts on X, she claimed Hamdi was “an individual with Islamic terror ties” and a supporter of Hamas.

The State Department confirmed it had arrested Hamdi, saying the US will continue to revoke the visas of foreigners who “support terrorism” and make Americans unsafe. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the approach showed common sense.

Loomer called on the Trump administration to take further action against CAIR by revoking its 501(c)(3) status, which makes the nonprofit organization exempt from federal taxes.

CAIR said Loomer, who has taken credit for a slew of high-profile firings in the Trump administration, was an “anti-Muslim extremist.” Loomer has previously described Islam as a “cancer on humanity” and said Muslims should not be allowed to seek political office in the US.

What are the legal issues?

Hamdi’s detention comes as the Trump administration has taken similar actions against pro-Palestinian activists and revoked the visas for people who have criticized Israel’s war in Gaza.

In October, Mario Guevara – a Salvadoran journalist who documented immigration raids – was deported to El Salvador after spending months in federal custody. He was arrested in June while covering an Atlanta-area “No Kings” protest against what organizers describe as Trump’s “authoritarian” agenda.

Legal experts and judges have voiced concern over the legal basis for such detentions. In September, William Young – a federal judge appointed in 1985 by President Ronald Reagan – issued an extraordinary 161-page rebuke of the Trump administration, saying its efforts to deport non-citizen activists represented a “full-throated assault on the First Amendment.”

Young’s ruling is expected to be appealed.

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