SAN FRANCISCO — Immigration authorities at the San Francisco International Airport detained a prominent British journalist and political commentator over the weekend while he was on a speaking tour in the United States, authorities said.
A federal spokesperson accused Sam Hamdi of “support(ing) terrorism and undermin(ing) American national security” without evidence.
Hamdi, a critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, was detained Sunday morning, the Council for American-Islamic Relations said in a statement hours later. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also confirmed the detainment.
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CAIR, an American Muslim civil rights organization, added that it believes the detainment occurred because of Hamdi’s criticism of Israel. In its statement, the organization referred to the detainment as an abduction and called it a “blatant affront to free speech.”
“Our attorneys and partners are working to address this injustice,” CAIR said in the statement. “We call on ICE to immediately account for and release Mr. Hamdi, whose only ‘crime’ is criticizing a federal government that committed genocide.”
In an emailed statement, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin credited Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem with the detainment.
“Thanks to the work of (Noem and Rubio) and the men and women of law enforcement, this individual’s visa was revoked and he is in ICE custody pending removal,” McLaughlin said. “Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country. It’s common sense.”
Officials at San Francisco International Airport said they were unaware of the detainment.
“Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies operate outside the jurisdiction of U.S. airports,” San Francisco Airport spokesperson Doug Yakel said via email. “As a result, we are not involved in any decisions about DHS operations, nor are we notified of such operations.”
Hamdi spoke at CAIR’s annual gala in Sacramento on Saturday night and had been scheduled to speak in Florida on Sunday night, according to the organization.
“Our nation must stop abducting critics of the Israeli government at the behest of unhinged Israel First bigots,” the organization said in a statement posted on social media. “This is an Israel First policy, not an America First policy, and it must end.”
The organization blamed right-wing political activist and social media personality Laura Loomer for the action.
In a social media statement, Loomer called Hamdi a “Jihadist” and said that CAIR “has been identified in federal proceedings as having historical financial and organizational ties to Hamas — a designated foreign Islamic terrorist organization — and the Muslim brotherhood.”
