Wife of British journalist held by US immigration issues warning to UK fans travelling to World Cup

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.

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 Sky's 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'."

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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.

Discussing his treatment while in detention, Mr Hamdi said he noticed a distinct change when news outlets like Sky News became aware of his case.

"They throw you in a cell, you sleep in the foot cuffs. They kept me there with 24 hours until my legs were swollen. When I told the guards, 'Look, my legs are swollen, visibly swollen', the guards simply ignored it.

"They only started treating me better when everybody at Sky News and the other media started raising their voices."

The Trump administration has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown this year, revoking visas for people accused of supporting terrorism and deporting foreign nationals who have voiced support for Palestinians.

After Mr Hamdi's arrest, a spokeswoman for the US Department of Homeland Security said his visa had been revoked as "those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country".

But he told Sky News he strongly disputed the reason for his detention. "On the charge sheet... there was no mention of anything related to terrorism or anything related to what they were saying online," he said.

"They knew no evidence existed of any of the accusations they were making. And in the end, the deal was about face-saving. I was happy to go home.

"Of course, they get to say that Sami Hamdi ended up leaving America, the case gets closed, and it worked out for both of us."

(c) Sky News 2025: Wife of British journalist held by US immigration issues warning to UK fans travelling to World Cup