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British journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi is set to be released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being detained for more than two weeks. His lawyers announced on Monday that Hamdi has accepted an offer of "voluntary departure" and will return to the United Kingdom.
Hamdi was taken into custody by ICE agents on October 26 at San Francisco International Airport. He was in the United States on a speaking tour and had just addressed a gala for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Sacramento. He was scheduled to travel to Florida for another event when he was detained midway through his speaking tour.
The official grounds for his detention were related to his visa, which his legal team claims was revoked without warning. However, his supporters and lawyers argue the action was politically motivated. They contend the detention was a direct result of his outspoken criticism of Israel's military actions and U.S. foreign policy. One senior U.S. official, according to The Boston Globe, had linked the detention to comments Hamdi made about the Middle East.
Following negotiations between his legal representatives and the U.S. government, Hamdi will be released after accepting an offer to leave the country. This voluntary departure allows him to return to the UK without a formal deportation order, which would carry more severe future immigration consequences. Zahra Billoo, whose CAIR chapter helped represent Hamdi, called the outcome a victory that allows him to return home with a clear immigration record.
During his time in custody, concerns were raised about his well-being after his wife, Soumaya Hamdi, reported he had suffered a medical emergency. The case has drawn significant attention from civil liberties and free speech advocates, who have framed the detention of the British commentator as a tactic to suppress political dissent. ICE has not released a public statement on the specifics of the case or the conditions of his confinement.
