The wife of British political analyst Sami Hamdi says she’s had just 30 seconds of contact with him since his sudden detention by U.S. immigration authorities. Hamdi, known for his pro-Palestinian advocacy, was reportedly taken into custody at San Francisco International Airport while on a U.S. speaking tour. His wife, Soumaya Hamdi, says the family has been left in anguish as the U.S. government seeks to deport him.
Detention Sparks Family Outcry
Soumaya Hamdi said she first learned of her husband’s detention through rumors that he had been “abducted by ICE.” She later received a brief call confirming he was being held at a detention center in McFarland, California. “We’re being kept in the dark,” she told The Guardian. The couple has three young children, including a 10-month-old baby.
“It’s distressing for them to understand they can’t speak to their father,” Soumaya said, adding that Hamdi’s U.S. visa was valid and not close to expiration. “To hear through a third party that he has been abducted, effectively, by the United States government is incredibly distressing.”
Washington Defends Deportation Move
The U.S. State Department has not commented directly but stated online that the U.S. “has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism.” The post said the government would continue revoking visas of individuals “engaged in such activity.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later confirmed Hamdi’s visa had been revoked. “Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country,” wrote DHS press secretary Tricia McLaughlin, calling the move “common sense.”
Controversial Remarks Surface
Officials appear to be referencing Hamdi’s past comments after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. In a video shared by the pro-Israel group MEMRI, Hamdi was seen saying Palestinians should “celebrate their victory” and feel “euphoria” over the event. He later clarified his remarks, explaining that he did not celebrate war or death but the “revival of a just cause.”
“What Muslims are celebrating is not war,” he said in a later podcast. “They’re celebrating the revival of a cause that everybody thought was dead … I don’t celebrate war, I don’t celebrate death.”
Wife Slams ‘Islamophobic’ Targeting
Soumaya Hamdi called the allegations against her husband “outrageous” and said the videos were “edited in a way to frame Sami in a horrible light.” She accused MEMRI of being “anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic.”
MEMRI’s executive director, Steven Stalinsky, defended the organization, saying it documents “extremist Imams and Islamist organizations in the U.S. and the West,” and insisted that “MEMRI is proud of its diverse staff with members of every major religion.”
Legal and Free Speech Concerns
Civil liberties lawyers have condemned Hamdi’s detention as a violation of free speech. Last month, Judge William G. Young ruled that foreign nationals in the U.S. have the same First Amendment rights as citizens.
Ramya Krishnan, senior attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute, said, “Detaining someone who is lawfully present here in the middle of a speaking tour because you don’t like what they have to say is a brazen violation of the First Amendment.” She warned that labeling pro-Palestinian advocacy as “support for terrorism” sets a “treacherous precedent.”
Right-Wing Pressure Campaign
Reports suggest the move against Hamdi followed pressure from Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer and self-proclaimed “proud Islamophobe.” Loomer claimed credit for his arrest after “relentless pressure” on the State Department and DHS.
Soumaya said her husband was aware of online attacks but didn’t take them seriously. “He knew there was no evidence or truth to their allegations,” she said. She also noted that Hamdi believed being a British citizen would offer him “more protection.”
Calls for UK and International Response
Soumaya criticized the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for offering little support. “They say there’s not much they can do, and the U.S. authorities are preventing them from receiving information,” she said.
“This doesn’t just concern Sami,” she added. “It concerns everybody who values freedom of speech and freedom of political expression.”
Hamdi’s legal team from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has visited him in detention and demanded his immediate release. CAIR urged the State Department and ICE to “stop abducting journalists and others with valid visas for criticizing genocide.”