In a shocking escalation of rhetoric, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) publicly mocked the wife of a detained legal migrant on social media, accusing her husband of being a “terrorist sympathizer.” The post came after Soumaya Hamdi, wife of British journalist Sami Hamdi, published an emotional op-ed pleading for his release. Hamdi, who entered the U.S. legally on a visitor visa, was detained in California last month and now faces deportation amid accusations that his remarks supported terrorism.
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Journalist Detained in California
Sami Hamdi, a British journalist and analyst, was detained in San Francisco last month after his U.S. visa was abruptly revoked. He is currently being held at the Golden State Annex in McFarland, California, while awaiting deportation. DHS officials claim his detention stems from remarks made at a public event, where Hamdi allegedly questioned whether attendees felt “euphoria” following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.
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DHS Defends Its Actions
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, defended the detention, stating that Hamdi’s comments promoted “terrorism” and undermined American national security. The DHS doubled down on this stance in a social media post on Wednesday, responding directly to Hamdi’s wife, insisting that the United States “has no obligation to host foreigners” who support extremist ideologies.
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Taunting the Wife Online
After Soumaya Hamdi published her plea in USA Today, DHS responded harshly on Instagram, posting, “The U.S. has no obligation to host foreigners, like Sami Hamdi, who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans. And we won’t.” The statement continued, “There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here.” The agency added that Secretary Kristi Noem “has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can hide behind the First Amendment to advocate anti-American and anti-Semitic violence, think again.”
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Wife Describes ‘Abduction by ICE’
In her op-ed, Mrs. Hamdi described her husband’s detention as an “abduction,” alleging that several men forced him into a black van. She said she and their children have been “left completely in the dark” about the reasons for his arrest. Her account paints a harrowing picture of fear and uncertainty as she struggles to obtain information about his status and the charges against him.
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No Charges or Evidence Released
Despite repeated accusations by DHS, the Trump administration has not presented any concrete evidence linking Hamdi to terrorist activity, nor has he been formally charged with a crime. The absence of due process has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates who argue that the administration is targeting individuals for their political speech rather than legitimate security concerns.
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Pattern of Targeting Critics
Hamdi’s detention echoes similar cases under the Trump administration, including that of Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk, who faced deportation after co-authoring a campus op-ed criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza. Both incidents reflect an emerging trend of punishing foreign nationals who express dissenting views on Middle East conflicts while residing legally in the United States.
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A Broader Policy Signal
The latest DHS response suggests a deliberate hardline stance on speech critical of Israel or U.S. foreign policy. The department’s aggressive online tone and its public targeting of a detainee’s family mark a sharp departure from diplomatic norms. Critics warn that this pattern could have chilling effects on free expression among legal migrants and journalists working in America.