The family of British political commentator Sami Hamdi, who was detained by US immigration and customs (Ice) late in the US, said he had “returned home”.
“The government has agreed to release Sami,” the family said in a statement on Monday. “He’ll be back home soon.”
Hamdi was arrested on 26 October at the San Francisco International Airport. At the time, the Council on American-Islamic relations (Cair) said that his restraint showed that the criticism of Israeli politics while flowing in the US, calling it a “rude call to” Blatant free speech “, and called for release.
After 26 October, the Department of Homeland Security Thinsesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, As that Hamdi’s Visa has been revoked and that he is in “Custody on Ice pending removal”.
“Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American National Security will not be allowed to work or visit this country,” McLughlinin said.
In a separate statement that same day, the State Department As that the US “has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans. We continue to suspend the visas of people who engage in such activity”.
The Guardian reported last month that US officials appeared to be discussing remarks made by Hamdi after the October 27th, DHS shared a video clip Through the pro-Israel meme, Hamdi was recorded as saying that the Palestinians should “celebrate their victory” and was asked how they felt the “euphoria” of what had happened.
Hamdi later sought to clarify his remarks. In another Speaking of Intimacy several days after the Hamas attacks he said: “We don’t celebrate blood lust, we don’t celebrate death and we don’t celebrate war” adding that “what Muslims are celebrating is not war, they’re celebrating the revival of a cause – a just cause – that everybody thought was dead, this is an important distinction … I don’t celebrate war, I don’t celebrate death.”
In an interview with the Guardian in late October, Hamdi’s wife called the allegations against her husband aimed at anti-Muslims, targeting people who advertise against people who advertise against people against the genocide against the Palestinians”.
On Monday, the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, whose legal team represented Hamdi in court from the legal fund lawyers and the HMA Law Firm, confirmed in a statement that Hamdi accepted an offer to leave the US Volunteers.
They added that the immigration filing filed “in his case only alleged a visa overstay – after the government took his visa without reason – and no criminal or unknown grounds have been identified”.
“This Agreement establishes that the government does not consider Hamdi a danger to the community or to national security,” Cair said.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.