Sami Hamdi

Sami Hamdi, a British political commentator and outspoken critic of Israel, was detained in October 2025 while on a speaking tour in the U.S.. Hamdi had just attended a conference held by the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Sacramento, California when he was stopped at San Francisco International Airport by ICE officers and detained in federal immigration detention in McFarland, California for two weeks. The State Department pubilcly stated that Hamdi had been detained on the grounds of "supporting terrorism." Hamdi's visa was also revoked, although, upon arrival back to the U.K. on November 13, Hamdi said that he had departed the U.S. voluntarily after his release and that he would not be barred from seeking another U.S. visa.