WASHINGTON, 28 Oct. - (ANA) - Fears are growing that British journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi may be held for weeks by US authorities after being detained by ICE agents on Sunday.

 

Hamdi, who was in the US to deliver talks with Muslim communities in the country, was apprehended while travelling to an event hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

 

US immigration authorities revoked his visa and said he would be deported rather than allowed to complete his speaking tour in the, a Homeland Security official said on Sunday. However, as of Monday evening Hamdi remains in detention at the Golden State Annex in California, according to his friends and family.

 

On Monday, US lawyer Hassan Shibly posted an update from Hamdi's family and lawyers, saying that "it seems he may not get to appear in front of a judge till next month and may unjustly be imprisoned until then".

 

Muhammad Jalal, whose 'Thinking Muslim' podcast features Hamdi as a regular contributor, also expressed concern that Hamdi will be held for a longer period.

 

"It's being presented that he's being deported, but that doesn't seem imminent. It seems that he could be held for a number of days or even weeks," Jalal, who was with Hamdi in Sacramento last week, said.

 

"One worries about whether the administration is trying to concoct a bigger story here, based on what is obviously a pro-Israel agenda to malign Sami," he added.

 

Hamdi, who regularly shared his political analyses on online platforms and television channels like Sky News, has spoken frequently on Israel's latest war on Gaza. The political commentator has often highlighted the impact of social media in raising awareness about the Gaza genocide, urging social media followers to keep posting on the matter.

 

Pro-Israel activists have lauded the move by US authorities, with right-wing influencer Laura Loomer on Sunday taking credit for his arrest.

 

Hamdi's detention has drawn outrage from rights groups and supporters around the world, with many viewing this as the latest episode in US authorities' crackdown on critics of Israel.

 

"Abducting a prominent British Muslim journalist and political commentator on a speaking tour in the United States because he dared to criticise the Israeli government’s genocide is a blatant affront to free speech," CAIR said in a statement.

 

In the UK, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) issued a statement on Monday calling for the government to intervene.

 

"The MCB urges the UK Government to take urgent diplomatic action to secure British journalist Sami Hamdi’s release from US ICE detention. Press freedom cannot be selective, the Government must defend British citizens and the right to speak truth to power."   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/28 October 2025 - - -