A British Muslim journalist and political commentator was detained in San Francisco a day after after speaking at a gala in the state capital, ICE officials said – and far-right influencer Laura Loomer is taking credit.
Sami Hamdi was taken into custody at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday for supporting terrorism, according to Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.
McLaughlin said on Sunday afternoon that Hamdi’s ‘visa was revoked and he is in ICE custody pending removal,’ adding that ‘under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country.’
On Sunday morning, Loomer said her ‘relentless pressure’ on the State Department and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) led authorities to ‘take action.’
‘I demanded that federal authorities inside the Trump administration treat Hamdi as the major National security threat that he is and I reported Sami Hamdi to federal immigration authorities over his documented support for Islamic terrorism,’ she wrote, calling him ‘a jihadi foreign national operating inside the United States and abroad with banned Muslim Brotherhood figures.’
‘Just a reminder that the Muslim Brotherhood and HAMAS are on US soil and they are freely operating in America,’ she added.
Hamdi frequently posts anti-Israel content on his social media, and has featured on reputable TV stations speaking about his opinion on Hamas and the conflict in the Middle East.
Ten days after the October 7 Hamas attacks, which claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis, Hamdi was filmed encouraging people to ‘celebrate the victory’ of the terrorist organization.
‘How many of you feel it in your hearts?’ he said. ‘When you go the news that it happened, how many of you felt the euphoria?’
Hamdi has previously been banned from speaking at two universities in Canada after his comments came to light.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) confirmed on Sunday that ICE agents had carried out the arrest.
The group revealed Hamdi has not been deported and remained in federal custody.
‘Our attorneys and partners are working to address this injustice. We call on ICE to immediately account for and release Mr. Hamdi, whose only “crime” is criticizing a foreign government that committed genocide,’ CAIR said in a statement.
The State Department also confirmed Hamdi’s arrest.
The decision to revoke Hamdi’s visa was made on Friday, a senior US official who spoke on condition of anonymity told PBS News.
The source said officials were alerted to Hamdi’s past and current statements related to the Middle East. They did not provide specifics.
Hamdi had been traveling in the US on a visitor visa and not under the Visa Waiver Program, the source said.
Hamdi had been in the midst of a speaking tour when he was apprehended.
The 35-year-old had just appeared at a CAIR gala in Sacramento Saturday.
He had been set to do the same for gala organized by the organization’s Florida chapter Sunday. CAIR called his arrest ‘a blatant affront to free speech.’
ICE said that Hamdi ‘will be placed in immigration proceedings.’
In reply to McLaughlin’s X post announcing the detainment, the official X account for State Department repeated that Hamdi supported terrorism.
‘The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans,’ the post read.
Hamdi’s detention is the latest in the Trump administration’s ramped-up effort to identify and deport foreigners who publicly support Israel’s war in Gaza.
The administration has already expelled South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, for comments criticizing the president’s approach to the conflict.
The administration also revoked a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the U.N. General Assembly and the visas for British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan after its members performed at Glastonbury earlier this year and chanted ‘death to the IDF.’
In August, officials said they are reviewing the status of the more than 55 million current US visa holders for prospective violations.
