British political commentator Sami Hamdi, who earlier faced detention by US immigration authorities because of his pro-Palestinian views, returned to the UK on Thursday. Later, in an interview with the Guardia, Hamidi claimed that what happened to him “was less an attack on me and more an attack on Americans and their rights”.
Hamdi arrived in London three weeks after he was detained at San Francisco International Airport by ICE officers during his speaking tour in the US. After a brief back-and-forth, he agreed to leave the country, provided he received a written guarantee that he could still apply for a new US visa, something he says he will do.
British commentator says his detention was ‘an attack on Americans’
Speaking to the Guardian shortly after reaching home, Hamdi said he believed the authorities wanted to scare activists like him away from the US. He spoke about earlier incidents where foreign students were also stopped or questioned because of their political views. “What they want is to make sure people like us don’t go to America,” he told the Guardian. “But we will not stop. We will use our rights and we will speak the truth against hatred.”
Hamdi, who is popularly known for speaking about global political issues, said he suffered intense abdominal pain while in detention but was denied any medical help. According to him, a guard told him, “The only way the medical team will come is if you drop down on the floor.”
He said the worst part for him and other detainees wasn’t just the conditions, it was the fear of not knowing how long they would be held.
US officials label him a ‘terrorist sympathiser’
Earlier, the Trump administration defended Hamdi’s arrest on 26 October by calling him a “terrorist sympathiser”. According to Hamdi, without providing any specific evidence, they circulated a video by the pro-Israel group Memri, which made it look like Hamdi praised the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks.
Hamdi said his words were edited and twisted. He pointed out that in the same event, he clearly condemned violence, but that part was not shown. Pointing to the irony, he said, “Donald Trump himself is now suing the BBC for doing exactly the same thing, stitching together a misleading video.” (The BBC later apologised after Trump’s lawyers threatened a $1bn lawsuit.)
On the other hand, Tricia McLaughlin, a senior DHS official, said Hamdi was “an illegal alien and terrorist sympathiser who cheered Hamas after October 7”. She added: “Under President Trump, people who support terrorism won’t be allowed to work or visit this country.” Hamdi was in the US to speak about America’s “Israel-first” policies. While waiting to board a flight from San Francisco to Florida, DHS agents approached him and said his visa had been revoked. No reason was given.