Sami Hamdi detained at SFO after visa revocation

British journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi was detained by U.S. immigration authorities at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday, October 26, 2025, after officials revoked his visa, the Department of Homeland Security said. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said on social media that Hamdi’s visa "was revoked and he is in ICE custody pending removal," and that the action followed work by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and law enforcement.

Hamdi, a British citizen who edits a publication focused on Middle East geopolitics, was on a U.S. speaking tour and had addressed a Council on American-Islamic Relations event in Sacramento on Saturday. CAIR said he was detained while preparing to travel to a Florida event and that its attorneys were "working to address this injustice." The group described the detention as "a blatant affront to free speech" and called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to account for and release him.

DHS officials characterized the detention as a national security action. McLaughlin’s social media post said, "Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American...