US immigration authorities detained British commentator Sami Hamdi, citing his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza as a reason for his detention. Hamdi was scheduled to speak at CAIR events in Florida but was taken into custody instead. Conservative activist Laura Loomer claimed responsibility for the arrest.
CAIR accused the Trump administration of detaining Hamdi over his criticism of Israeli government policies, calling it an “affront to free speech”. Hamdi had previously denied supporting Islamic militants and said he wanted to visit the US to speak about his experiences as a Muslim.
Since January, the Trump administration has increased crackdowns on immigration, including deporting students who voiced support for Palestinians and revoked visas for those praising the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/26/us/sami-hamdi-british-commentator-detained