Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said on Sunday that the United States has revoked the visa for British journalist Sami Hamdi, alleging that he has supported terrorism and worked to “undermine American national security.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) confirmed that Hamdi has not been deported but remains in custody, and lawyers for the advocacy group are “working to address this injustice.”
He was detained at San Francisco International Airport earlier this morning, according to CAIR.
Newsweek reached out to The International Interest, Hamdi’s outlet, by email outside of normal business hours on Sunday for comment.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and immigrants residing in the country illegally and legally, with valid documentation such as green cards and visas, have been detained.
The Trump administration has also asked people without proper documentation to self-deport, with DHS stating in a September press release that “2 million illegal aliens have been removed or have self-deported since January 20.”
The White House has also come under fire for deporting or denying entry to individuals who have been seen to criticize or protest the government, including journalist Mario Guevara after livestreaming a “No Kings” protest in Atlanta in June. Meanwhile, a French scientist in March also claimed he had been denied entry into the U.S. for messages deemed as “hate and conspiracy.”
What To Know
Hamdi is the editor-in-chief of The International Interest, a current affairs magazine with a focus on the Middle East, Far East Asia, and the United Kingdom. He drew attention earlier this month when RAIR Foundation founder Amy Mek urged the U.S. to take action against Hamdi.
RAIR, which stands for Rise Align Ignite Reclaim, is an “activist organization” that works to “reclaim our Republic from the network of individuals and organizations waging war on Americans, our Constitution, our borders and our Judeo-Christian values.”
In her initial post, Mek accused Hamdi of being a “national security threat” who was “moving freely across the United States” and “training U.S. Muslims in digital agitation, electoral sabotage, and political warfare in alignment with Muslim Brotherhood doctrine.”
“Sami Hamdi is not a journalist passing through America — he is a deployed actor from an overseas cadre system that grooms Western Muslims for on-shore mobilization,” she wrote.
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McLaughlin reposted Mek’s post when she wrote on Sunday: “Thanks to the work of [DHS Secretary Kristi Noem] and [State Secretary Marco Rubio] and the men and women of law enforcement, this individual’s visa was revoked and he is in ICE custody pending removal.”
“Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country,” McLaughlin added. “It’s commonsense.”
CAIR responded to Hamdi’s arrest with a call for his release, saying that he was engaged in a speaking tour and was critical of the Israeli government, which the group indicated was a factor in the government’s decision to revoke his visa.
“Our nation must stop abducting critics of the Israeli government at the behest of unhinged Israel First bigots; this is an Israel First policy, not an America First policy, and it must end,” CAIR wrote in a statement posted on X, in part. “In the meantime, everyone should recognize that arresting a British citizen legally visiting the United States because he dared to criticize a foreign nation’s genocide is our government’s blatant affront to free speech.”
Amid the Israel-Hamas war, Israel has denied it has committed genocide in response to Hamas’ October 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people.
What People Are Saying
Dr. Yasir Qadhi, a Pakistani American Muslim scholar and dean of The Islamic Seminary of America, wrote on X, in part: “Our country is heading towards a fascist dictatorship in which any speech that goes against the official narrative is going to be criminalized. This is happening within the context of the most hate-filled, blatant, anti-Muslim bigotry we’ve seen in our lifetimes (in light of the NY mayor’s election). Disagree with Sami’s message all you want, but do so with facts and evidence, not by banning and deporting.”
Right-wing activist and independent journalist Laura Loomer wrote on X, in part: “After Amy Mek’s investigation exposed Sami Hamdi — a jihadi foreign national operating inside the United States and abroad with banned Muslim Brotherhood figures who are barred from entering our country — I demanded that federal authorities inside the Trump administration treat Hamdi as the major National security threat that he is and I reported Sami Hamdi to federal immigration authorities over his documented support for Islamic terrorism. As a direct result of Amy’s report and my relentless pressure on the State Department and Department of Homeland Security, U.S. officials have now moved to take action against Hamdi’s visa status and his continued presence in this country.”
What Happens Next?
It remains to be seen when Hamdi faces deportation.
Update 10/26/25, 4:40 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information, context, and comment.
