ICE Abducts British Journalist Sami Hamdi at SFO Over Criticism of Israel’s Genocide

October 26, 2025 - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called for the immediate release of British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi, who was detained at San Francisco International Airport this morning, apparently because of his criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and at the urging of a notorious anti-Muslim, pro-Israel extremist.

In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:

“Abducting a prominent British Muslim journalist and political commentator on a speaking tour in the United States because he dared to criticize the Israeli government’s genocide is a blatant affront to free speech.

“Our attorneys and partners are working to address this injustice. We call on ICE to immediately account for and release Mr. Hamdi, whose only ‘crime’ is criticizing a foreign government that committed genocide.

“Our nation must stop abducting critics of the Israeli government at the behest of unhinged Israel First bigots. This is an Israel First policy, not an America First policy, and it must end.”

Hamdi was reportedly detained by immigration officers at San Francisco International Airport on the morning of Oct. 26.

He was on a speaking tour in the United States, which he has done many times in the past. Hamdi spoke at the annual gala of CAIR Sacramento on Oct. 25 and was scheduled to speak at the gala of CAIR Florida tonight.

Anti-Muslim extremist Laura Loomer has publicly taken credit for his abduction, claiming that ICE acted in response to her demands and smearing Hamdi with various anti-Muslim conspiracy theories.

CAIR previously called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address whether he spoke directly with anti-Muslim extremist Laura Loomer, as she claims, before banning Palestinian children injured by American weapons in Gaza from seeking medical care in the U.S. and condemned his decision.

A day after Loomer posted videos on social media complaining about children from Gaza arriving in the U.S. for medical treatment and questioning how they obtained visas, the State Department said it was halting all visitor visas for people from Gaza pending a review.

In a tweet, Loomer thanked Senator Rubio for halting the visas. The New York Times reported that Loomer said she spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday night to alert him to the flights and what she called the threat of an “Islamic invasion.”


https://ca.cair.com/press-release/breaking-cair-calls-on-ice-to-release-sami-hamdi-british-journalist-abducted-over-criticism-of-israels-genocide/