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The United States is “heading towards fascist dictatorship”, critics have warned, following the detention of British journalist Sami Hamdi by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Hamdi, a prominent political commentator and managing director of the London-based think tank The International Interest, was apprehended at San Francisco International Airport after addressing a Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) gala in Sacramento.

ICE has confirmed that Hamdi is being held in custody pending removal, with a Homeland Security spokesperson citing revoked visa status. In a post on X, DHS official Tricia McLaughlin wrote: “Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country.”

Critics, however, say Hamdi’s only “crime” was condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

CAIR condemned his detention, describing it as a politically motivated abduction driven by pressure from far-right pro-Israel figures. In a statement, the group said:

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

“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 added that anti-Muslim provocateur Laura Loomer, who has previously espoused conspiracy theories and Islamophobic rhetoric, claimed credit for orchestrating Hamdi’s detention, posting that ICE responded to her demands.

READ: Immigrant students detained in US moved to remote detention centres flagged for rights concerns

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has urged the UK government to intervene. “Press freedom cannot be selective,” it said. “The Government must defend British citizens and the right to speak truth to power.” It called for “urgent diplomatic action to secure British journalist Sami Hamdi’s release from US ICE detention.”

Hamdi’s father also issued a plea via X, writing: ” Anyone who truly wants to understand #Sami_Hamdi and how he thinks should start with these words” said Dr. Mohamed Elhachmi Hamdi sharing his son’s tweet from May calling out anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. 

Dr Yasir Qadhi, a prominent American Muslim scholar, warned that the arrest reflects an alarming trend: “Our country is heading towards a fascist dictatorship in which any speech that goes against the official narrative is going to be criminalised,” he said. Qadhi described Hamdi’s arrest as part of a broader campaign of “anti-Muslim bigotry”, cautioning that this “inhumane evil will be directed against multiple minorities, not just Muslims.”

Hamdi had been on a US speaking tour, with scheduled events in Florida following his appearance in California. He has appeared on UK broadcasters including Sky News and Channel 4 as a commentator on Middle East affairs.

The incident forms part of a broader pattern of repression against Palestinian advocacy and criticism of Israel in the US. Universities have revoked student group charters, political donors have blacklisted dissenting voices, and social media platforms have throttled pro-Palestinian content. 

Rights groups have warned that these actions represent a coordinated campaign to silence opposition to Israeli war crimes and shield its leaders from accountability.

READ: Detained student in US claims university laid groundwork for his ‘abduction’

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.