British journalist Sami Hamdi detained by ICE

British journalist and commentator Sami Hamdi, a vocal critic of Israel, has been arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

While on a speaking tour in the United States this weekend, Hamdi was arrested by ICE agents and his visa was revoked, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin announced Sunday on X.

Hamdi is in ICE custody pending deportation from the country, she added.

The State Department and DHS say Hamdi supports terrorism and poses a threat to national security, while a Muslim advocacy group says he is being politically targeted in violation of his right to free speech.

“We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: The United States has no obligation to harbor foreign nationals who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans,” the State Department said on X in an article about Hamdi’s detention.

The ministry added that it would continue to revoke the visas of people engaged in such activities.

DHS, ICE and the State Department did not respond to the BBC’s request for evidence regarding Hamdi’s alleged support for terrorism.

Hamdi, who frequently appears on British television to comment on the Middle East, was arrested Sunday at San Francisco International Airport “apparently because of his criticism of the Israeli genocide in Gaza,” the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights organization, said in a statement.

Hamdi spoke at the CAIR Sacramento annual gala on Saturday and was scheduled to speak at the CAIR Florida gala on Sunday before he was arrested.

“Our nation must stop deleting criticism of the Israeli government at the behest of unhinged Israel First fanatics. This is an Israel First policy, not an America First policy, and it must stop,” CAIR wrote in its statement.

CAIR urged ICE to immediately release Hamdi, adding that his lawyers are working to address the “injustice.”

Hamdi’s arrest came after far-right political activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer wrote a series of posts on X accusing Hamdi of supporting terrorist organizations. In return, CAIR argued that Loomer was promoting “anti-Muslim conspiracy theories.”

Representatives for Hamdi did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has revoked the visas of people who have openly criticized Israel’s war in Gaza.

In March, Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist, was arrested and threatened with deportation in an ongoing case. His case was the most notable in a series of arrests of student activists.