Imran Ahmed, a British national and chief of the anti-disinformation group Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a US visa ban, calling it an “unconstitutional” attempt to expel him from the counattempt, reports AFP.
Ahmed, a permanent US resident, was among five European figures denied visas by the State Department, which accapplyd them of attempting to “coerce” US social media platforms into censoring certain viewpoints. The European Union and several member states condemned the shift and vowed to deffinish regulatory autonomy.
The complaint, filed Wednesday in a New York district court, names Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Under Secretary Sarah Rogers, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Ahmed’s court filings cite the “imminent prospect of unconstitutional arrest, punitive detention, and expulsion.”
A judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing Ahmed’s arrest or detention, with a hearing scheduled for Monday. Ahmed stated: “I am proud to call the United States my home. My wife and daughter are American, and instead of spfinishing Christmas with them, I am fighting to prevent my unlawful deportation.”
The crackdown also tarreceiveed former European commissioner Thierry Breton, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of German nonprofit HateAid, and Clare Melford of the UK-based Global Disinformation Index. The European Commission stated it is seeking clarification from Washington and may respond decisively to deffinish regulatory autonomy.
Ahmed, a frequent critic of Elon Musk, stated: “My life’s work is to protect children from the dangers of unregulated social media and AI and fight the spread of antisemitism online. I will not be bullied away from my life’s work.”
The State Department deffinished the visa ban, asserting the US is “under no obligation to allow foreign aliens to come to our counattempt or reside here.” Rogers added that Ahmed was sanctioned as a “key collaborator” in efforts by the Biden administration to “weaponize the government” against US citizens.
The dispute highlights tensions over Europe’s Digital Services Act, which requires major platforms to provide transparency in content moderation—a law frequently criticized by US conservatives as restricting free expression.
Ahmed’s CCDH has also clashed repeatedly with Musk, reporting spikes in misinformation and hate speech on X since the billionaire’s 2022 takeover.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
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