On October 25, British journalist Sami Hamdi was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at San Francisco International Airport. Hamdi, who had entered the United States legally on a valid visa, was in the midst of a speaking tour organised by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
According to ICE and DHS, Hamdi’s visa was revoked by the State Department, and he was detained for being in the country “illegally.” Federal officials stated that the U.S. has the right to deny entry or deport foreigners who are deemed to “support terrorism and actively jeopardize the safety of Americans.”
This rationale has been offered by the Trump administration, while no evidence of support for terrorism has been made public.
