Father of detained British journalist Sami Hamdi speaks out, says it is a ‘gross injustice’

The father of British journalist Sami Hamdi has slammed his son’s detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this week as "unfair", saying he had done nothing to warrant his arrest by the legal enforcement agency.

Hamdi was detained by ICE officers and had his visa revoked while on a speaking tour of the US, the Department of Homeland Security said on Sunday.

As of Wednesday, he remains in ICE custody, pending his deportation from the country, despite international outcry over his arrest.

In a post on X on Tuesday evening, his father, Dr. Mohamed Elhachmi Hamdi, said his son’s detention is a "gross injustice," adding, "I’m sure you have targeted the wrong man".

In a series of posts, he re-shared speeches made by his son, and a petition calling for his immediate release, which has garnered over 95,000 signatures.

"My wife and I raised Sami to respect all people, no matter their beliefs, and to always choose dialogue and kindness. Watch him in the attached video from his university days, moderating a discussion between Islamic, Jewish, and Christian leaders. Do you see any sign of an extremist in this video?!!!," he wrote, addressing Tricia McLaughlin, the Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.

"The fact that Sami opposed the genocide in Gaza and called for security, justice, and freedom for the Palestinian people does not make him a supporter of terrorism or extremism. Nothing could be further from the truth," Hamdi’s father continued.

Speaking to The New Arab, he said, "Sami obtained a ten-year visa to enter the United States. He received it several years ago and has visited the U.S. multiple times. Upon entry, he was sometimes asked about the purpose of his visit and his plans during his stay, but he never expected that his visa would be cancelled and that he would be detained for deportation".

He also explained that when Sami was detained on Sunday, he was preparing to board a domestic flight to Florida. He was then informed that his visa had been cancelled a day or two earlier and that he was now considered to have overstayed his permitted period of stay. However, Sami had no knowledge that his visa had been revoked and only learned about it at that moment.

"He is now being held in an immigration deportation centre in the state of California — I don’t know its exact name. He called me yesterday, and I found his spirits to be good despite the great shock of what happened," his father added.

He said he can unequivocally confirm that his son has no affiliation with any religious or political groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, and that his support for Palestine is not aligned to any political groups, but rather his care for humanity and human rights.

The US State Department alleges that Hamdi supports terrorism and poses a threat to national security, claims that his family, other journalists, and Muslim advocacy groups have vehemently denied.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said that he was detained at San Fransico International Airport on Sunday "because of his criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza".

A day earlier, the journalist and commentator had spoken at a CAIR event and was due to speak at another.

"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," CAIR said in a statement.

The Muslim Council of Britain has also called on the UK government to intervene, saying it should take "urgent diplomatic action" to release him from ICE detention.

According to Hamdi's father, several members of the British Parliament have issued statements condemning what happened to Sami and calling for his release. The deputy leader of the Green Party and the National Union of Journalists in the United Kingdom have also expressed their support.

He added that the British Foreign Office informed the family that it is following the matter, and a member of the British Consulate in San Francisco has been in contact with Sami.

"I am saddened that the United States has become so intolerant of opinions critical of Israel or of certain U.S. government policies. Just two days ago, I heard that the visa of Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka — winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature — was revoked because of views the government did not like," he said.

Since his detention, pro-Israel figures have urged the Trump administration to expel Hamdi from the US.

His detention since Sunday has raised concerns that he could be held for a long period of time.

Hamdi has previously appeared on several British TV networks, including Sky News, as well as podcasts.