The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will release British journalist Sami Hamdi from detention because the government accepted his request to end his two-week imprisonment. The legal agreement between his lawyers and immigration authorities will permit Hamdi to leave the United States and return to his home country, the United Kingdom, after his October 26, 2025, arrest at the airport, according to Sky News. The family released a statement that read: “Alhamdulillah, good news. The government has agreed to release Sami. The government will let him return to his home insha’Allah. Additional details forthcoming.”
The November 10 announcement marks significant progress in a situation that has generated widespread controversy over media liberties and immigration control, as well as U.S. foreign policy criticism. British journalist Sami Hamdi, director of The International Interest and a well-known political commentator, is set to be released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention after the government agreed to end his two-week confinement. Hamdi, who has been held since his October 26, 2025 arrest at San Francisco International Airport, will be allowed to return home to the United Kingdom following a legal agreement reached between his attorneys and immigration officials, according to Sky News. His family announced the development in a statement: “Alhamdulillah, good news. The government has agreed to release Sami. He will be able to return home soon insha’Allah. Additional details forthcoming”.
The announcement on November 10 marks a significant development in a case that has sparked intense debate over press freedom, immigration enforcement, and the treatment of critics of U.S. foreign policy.
The Detention That Sparked Controversy
ICE officers took Hamdi into custody at San Francisco International Airport after he delivered a speech at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) gala in California. The Department of Homeland Security stated that people who support terrorism and harm American national security will face restrictions on entering or working in the United States. The CAIR event attendance of Hamdi led Trump ally Laura Loomer and other conservative figures to demand his removal from the United States.
ICE officers detained Hamdi at San Francisco International Airport after speaking at a Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) gala in California. According to the Department of Homeland Security, his visa was revoked because “those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country”. Conservative figures, including Trump ally Laura Loomer, had publicly urged the administration to expel Hamdi from the United States following his appearance at the CAIR event.
“Under President Trump, individuals who endorse terrorism and threaten American national security will not be permitted to work or visit this country.”
— DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin
The BBC announced that Hamdi stayed in ICE detention because he faced deportation proceedings after appearing on British television to share his expertise about Middle Eastern matters. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Hamdi on October 26 after he entered the country on October 19 using a visitor visa, which ICE revoked without warning on October 24.
The BBC reported that Hamdi, who frequently appears on British television to discuss Middle Eastern affairs, remained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. His detention occurred on October 26 after he had entered the U.S. on October 19 on a visitor visa, which was subsequently revoked on October 24 without prior notice to Hamdi.
Civil Rights Groups Challenge Detention as Political Retaliation
The Council on American-Islamic Relations right away declared the detention politically driven because they believed it stemmed from Hamdi's public criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza. Newsweek reported that CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush declared Hamdi should have avoided any time in an ICE cell. Ayloush explained that Hamdi faced no actual offense except for his direct statements about Israel's murderous attacks against Palestinian civilians.
The legal teams from CAIR, together with MLFA and HMA Law Firm, submitted a habeas corpus petition to the federal court to challenge Hamdi's detention. The New Arab reports that a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing ICE from moving Hamdi out of California, finding sufficient grounds for court intervention. The lawyers presented evidence that the detention violated First Amendment rights and due process because immigration authorities charged him with staying past his visa expiration after they had already taken away his visa without a proper reason. The Council on American-Islamic Relations immediately condemned the detention as politically motivated, arguing it represented retaliation for Hamdi’s outspoken criticism of Israeli government actions in Gaza. CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush stated that Hamdi “should never have spent a single night in an ICE cell,” according to Newsweek. Ayloush added that Hamdi’s “only real ‘offense’ was speaking clearly about Israel’s genocidal war crimes against Palestinians”.
CAIR’s legal team, along with the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) and HMA Law Firm, filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court challenging the detention. According to The New Arab, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing ICE from transferring Hamdi out of California, finding that he had demonstrated grounds for injunctive relief. The attorneys argued that the detention raised serious First Amendment and due process concerns, particularly given that immigration charges alleged only a visa overstay that occurred after the government revoked his visa without cause.