Overview
- He accepted voluntary departure after more than two weeks in ICE custody, with his family saying there is no deportation order or formal allegations.
- He was detained on October 26 at San Francisco International Airport during a speaking tour after officials asserted a visa overstay.
- DHS publicly labeled him “an illegal alien and terrorist sympathizer,” while Hamdi and his lawyers maintain he held a valid visa and was targeted for criticizing Israel’s war in Gaza.
- His family reported overcrowded conditions, shackling, and long waits for medical care during his detention.
- CAIR-California challenged the detention in federal court, and the case has been linked to other recent visa revocations affecting pro-Palestinian foreign nationals, including Cornell graduate student Momodou Taal.