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British Journalist Sami Hamdi to Leave U.S. Voluntarily After ICE Detention

The case pits free-speech concerns against DHS claims that he is a security risk.

British commentator Sami Hamdi, his wife Soumaya T. Hamdi, and their child.
Sami Hamdi speaks in Tinley Park village, Illinois, on November 30, 2024.
FILE - In this June 28, 2019, file photo the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seal is seen during a news conference in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
Sami Hamdi, the editor-in-chief of the International Interest, speaks at an event in Illinois on Nov. 30, 2024. He was released from U.S. immigration custody two weeks after he was detained at San Francisco International Airport, his family and attorneys said Monday.

Overview

  • Hamdi was detained by ICE at San Francisco International Airport on October 26 after the State Department revoked his visa on October 24.
  • He accepted voluntary departure, with DHS saying he requested removal and ICE arranging it, while his lawyers and CAIR note court filings cited only a visa overstay and no criminal or security grounds.
  • A federal judge blocked the government from transferring him out of California while his legal challenge was active.
  • Civil-rights and press-freedom groups allege political retaliation for his criticism of Israel, as DHS highlighted a clip of his 2023 remarks shared by Memri that he later sought to clarify.
  • His family and attorneys say he is being released from custody and preparing to return to the UK, and his wife reports he experienced a medical emergency with delayed treatment during detention.