british journalist Sami Hamdi, known for hisโ analyses of the Middle East and frequent โappearances on British television, is โexpected to be released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention andโ return to the United Kingdom, according to advocates. the expectedโข release followsโข mounting criticism of his detention and addsโฃ to a patternโฃ of visa revocations and deportations targeting โขpro-Palestinian โactivists and foreigners under the Trump administration.
hamdi’s detentionโค sparked outrageโ from civil rights groups โwho argue his only “crime” was speaking out against Israel‘s actions in โคgaza. Hussam Ayloush, executive director of CAIR-CA, stated Monday, “Sami should never have spent a single night in an ICE cell. His โonly real ‘crime’ wasโข speaking โฃout about Israel’s genocidal war crimesโ against the Palestinians.” Hamdi himself โขpreviously acknowledged theโฃ sensitivity โขsurrounding the October 7th Hamas attack, stating in a 2024 speech to the Canadian Council of โMuslim publicโข Affairs that “no one is โฃsaying that October 7 was okay,”โฃ despite having askedโ attendees to “celebrate the victory” at a โLondon event following the attack in 2023.He has also stated thatโค the october โ7thโ attack was “a natural consequence of the oppression being exerted on the Palestinians.”
hamdi is among aโข number โof pro-Palestinian foreigners whose visas were revoked by the Trump administration. โEarlier thisโ year, Momodou Language, โฃa Cornellโ University graduate student with dual British and Gambian nationality, had his โvisa revoked and faced deportation, accusing the administration of persecuting him for participating in pro-Palestinian protests. Language โannounced inโฃ late March he โขwould voluntarily leave the United States.
