British journalist Sami Hamdi on way home to UK after weeks in ICE detention

Sami Hamdi is on a flight home to London after being held in US immigration detention for more than two weeks.

The political commentator was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at San Francisco International Airport after travelling there for a speaking tour on 26 October.

His family confirmed on Thursday that he was on his way back to the UK.

It was a “great relief”, they said in a statement.

“The US government agreed to allow him to leave voluntarily, with no order of deportation and no allegations.

“While we welcome this development, we want to underscore that no family should ever have to go through what we have: Sami was in the United States on a valid visa when he was abducted and detained by ICE, despite committing no crime.”

The family said Mr Hamdi had been “living in terrible conditions” since being detained, staying in a room with between 80 and 90 other people.

“All this because Sami, a journalist, political commentator, and human rights defender, spoke out against Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Sami should never have spent a single night in a cell.”

Mr Hamdi is expected to land at Heathrow on Thursday afternoon.

His family said he will continue to stand up for Palestinian rights.

“As we await our husband, son, and father’s return to Britain, we keep all political prisoners held by ICE in our hearts,” the statement said.

“He will never be intimidated into silence.

“The US government revoked his visa without informing him and proceeded to use this as grounds to detain him. In truth, they had nothing on Sami – he was targeted for his legally protected free speech. Otherwise, they would not have offered voluntary return.”

The statement said the family was “deeply worried” about the future of free speech in the US and called on the UK government to “re-evaluate its approach and increase its efforts to secure the safe release of its citizens, including when they are detained by allies”.

The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), whose lawyers challenged Mr Hamdi’s detention in federal court, has claimed he was detained over his support for Palestine and “punished for criticising Israel, not for any alleged wrongdoing”.

Mr Hamdi accepted an offer to leave the US voluntarily after being charged with visa overstay, according to his legal team.

But they said Mr Hamdi should have never been detained, claiming that “anti-Muslim and pro-Israel extremists” pressured the US government into arresting him.

Mr Hamdi is the managing director of The International Interest, a global risk and intelligence company, and has appeared as an analyst and commentator on British TV networks.

US officials previously said comments made by Mr Hamdi, 35, after Hamas’s October 7 2023 attack on southern Israel celebrated violence.