The wife of a British journalist detained by ICE has called for him to be released immediately after he suffered a “health emergency” in custody.
Sami Hamdi was arrested by agents at San Francisco International Airport on October 26 as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown. Mr Hamdi, a 35-year-old father of three and an outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, was on a speaking tour of the US when he was held.
His wife, Soumaya Hamdi, told The Independent Monday that her husband’s health had deteriorated while in detention.
“He called me on Saturday and I could barely hear him on the phone,” Hamdi’s wife said. “He was clearly struggling to speak properly and he said: ‘Soumaya, I’m in a lot of pain’. I’ve been asking for hours to see a doctor. They haven’t brought me one. I need you to help me find a way to help me see a doctor.’”
The journalist told his wife the pain was in the left side of his stomach. After ringing the British consulate, Hamdi’s lawyers and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), who are organising his legal representation, he was finally seen. Hamdi was told he could have a “severe case of gastroenteritis” but “felt better after vomiting”, his wife said.
Describing the conditions of his detention, his wife said that he was living in a “very overcrowded” space with 80 to 90 people crammed into one room and sharing bunk beds.
With his immigration hearing postponed from November 6 until November 10 following a mistake on a form, she said her children are missing their father. The couple, who met as students at university together, have been married for 15 years and have one 10-year-old daughter and two sons, one aged six and the other a ten-month-old baby.
“My six-year-old son learned how to read and write recently, and he keeps on sending Sami funny messages and wondering why he won’t reply,” his wife said. “He doesn’t understand why his dad won’t reply to him. It’s heartbreaking.”
His parents have also been left “absolutely distraught” by his ordeal. “His parents are so worried,” his wife said. “They can’t eat properly or sleep properly. When he had this health scare over the weekend, they were really so concerned. It’s just so stressful.”
She urged the British and American governments to release her husband as soon as possible. While their lawyer’s motion for a habeas corpus - preventing him from being transferred to another prison - was granted, Ms Hamdi said he shouldn’t be there in the first place.
“He is a British citizen there on a valid visa, it’s already been too long,” she said. “Waiting until the 10th is too long. Congress needs to investigate ICE detentions because they are setting a terrifying precedent that is going to endanger ever American citizen’s freedom of speech.”
The mother-of-three described her husband as “the kind of person that brings people together”.
“He’s always wanted everyone to be able to find a common understanding, regardless of their differences,” she said. “That’s really who Sami is.”
Hamdi has chaired multi-faith discussions between, leaders of of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths, his wife added.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin was unapologetic in a statement after the journalist’s arrest.
“Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country,” she said. “It’s common sense.”
The official cited a report from the advocacy group RAIR, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has previously described as an anti-Muslim hate group, about Hamdi in the post announcing the arrest. RAIR accused Hamdi of endorsing terrorism and operating alongside foreign terror networks through his various speaking engagements, claims which he and his team have denied.
The Independent has contacted ICE, the DHS and the UK Foreign Office for comment.
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