The wife of British journalist Sami Hamdi, who was held for more than a fortnight by US immigration, has issued a stark warning to football fans travelling to the 2026 World Cup about the risk of being detained.
Mr Hamdi, who returned to the UK on Thursday, was initially detained at San Francisco International Airport on 26 October.
US officials revoked his visa without warning while on a speaking tour, during which he criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the tour was cancelled due to security rules and that he was in the country illegally.
Sitting alongside him in an interview for The World With Yalda Hakim, Soumaya Hamdi explained her concerns about British people travelling to the US.
“I would say to British citizens who value their freedom of speech to be very careful, because you got the World Cup in the United States coming up next year.
“If this could happen to Sami on a valid visa, a British citizen, a registered journalist, then it could very well happen again.”
Ms Hamdi added she was not happy about how the UK government had handled their case.
“The assistance that we received from the British government… was really very disappointing.
“I think this is really very concerning that the government is not taking more serious action with regards to our closest ally.”
Speaking about his arrest, Mr Hamdi said it had been “quite an aggressive experience”.
“They escorted me outside of the airport, there was this black car, the kind of things you see in the movies,” he said.
“When I asked them ‘Can I call my family to let them know I’m OK?’, a lady from behind grabs me, pushes me on the car, and says, ‘All right, that’s enough. You’re under arrest’.”
He added that, while in detention, he felt there was an attempt to wear him down by restricting access to justice.
“You felt, like, with ICE, it’s a battle of wills. Based on the merits of the case, they can’t actually win, but what they do is they keep delaying you and delaying until you’re just desperate to go home.”
Mr Hamdi, who is Muslim and lives in London, insisted he had complied with all visa conditions and alleged the move was linked to his advocacy for Gaza.
According to Mr Hamdi’s legal team, he accepted an offer to leave the US voluntarily after being charged with visa overstay.
His family announced on Monday the US government had agreed to free him and confirmed on Thursday morning he was on a flight home.
The Trump administration has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown this year.
It has included revoking visas for people the US has accused of supporting terrorism and deporting foreign nationals who have voiced support for Palestinians.
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