LONDON – Upon returning to the UK, British political commentator Sami Hamdi announced on Thursday his intention to potentially sue U.S. authorities. The lawsuit would be based on his recent detention in an immigration facility, which he attributes to his outspoken views on Gaza and Israel.
Just two days after declaring his voluntary departure from the U.S., Hamdi praised federal judges for clearing him of what he described as a mishandled arrest by what he labeled as “extremists” within the American government.
Speaking to reporters and supporters gathered outside a hotel near London’s Heathrow Airport, Hamdi expressed, “This incident wasn’t merely an attack on me; it was an infringement on the liberties of everyday Americans and citizens around the globe.”
While on a U.S. speaking tour, Hamdi, a Muslim, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on October 26, following his address at the annual gala for the Sacramento chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, at the time of his arrest, stated that Hamdi’s visa had been revoked by the State Department, leading to his detention by ICE. Homeland Security later accused him of endorsing Hamas-led assaults on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hamdi clarified his stance, asserting that he did not intend to commend the attacks but rather to highlight how the violence stemmed from the ongoing oppression faced by Palestinians.
“I did nothing illegal in the U.S.,” he said. “Everything was within the visa. Everything was in the limits of what the visa allowed me to do. The visa was revoked because of my advocacy for Palestine. It was revoked because of advocacy for Gaza.”
Hamdi’s detention was part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to identify and potentially expel thousands of foreigners in the United States who it says have either fomented or participated in unrest or publicly supported protests against Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Those enforcement actions have been criticized by civil rights groups as violations of constitutional protections for freedom of speech, which apply to anyone in the United States and not just to American citizens.
Hamdi, 35, said that he’s discussing with his lawyers whether to sue American authorities, but added that he’s hesitating about it because “cool heads” in the U.S. State Department and the federal court system prevailed.
“In respect of those cooler minds, I would rather celebrate,” he said. “I won this case, the extremists failed to silence my voice, they failed to remove my freedom of speech. America stood with me.”
Hamdi said there are no conditions attached to his voluntary departure and that he’s not barred from seeking another U.S. visa in the future.
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