A United States judge has intervened to block an attempt to detain a British social media campaigner, whose work was labelled a threat to free speech by former President Donald Trump.
Legal Reprieve for Campaigner
US District Judge Vernon S. Broderick issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday, preventing officials from detaining Imran Ahmed, the founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). The order also ensures Ahmed will have the chance to have his case heard before any potential detention.
The ruling came after Ahmed filed a legal complaint earlier this week challenging sanctions imposed by the US State Department. These sanctions, which targeted Ahmed and several others, alleged they were engaged in efforts to 'coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose'. The action had put Ahmed's visa and his ability to remain in the United States at risk.
Ahmed, who lives in Washington DC with his American wife and young child, had warned that detention and deportation would forcibly separate him from his family. Following the judge's decision, he told the BBC: 'I will not be bullied away from my life's work of fighting to keep children safe from social media's harm and stopping antisemitism online.'
The Allegations and Retaliation Claims
The sanctions were announced by Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Sarah B. Rogers, in a series of posts on X. She accused Ahmed, alongside Clare Melford of the Global Disinformation Index and Thierry Breton, a key architect of the EU's Digital Services Act, of 'extraterritorial censorship of Americans'.
Rogers stated: 'For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose. The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts.'
However, Ahmed's legal team argued in a 31-page filing that the government's actions were a clear retaliation for CCDH's research and public reporting. The complaint, lodged on Christmas Eve in the Southern District of New York, contended there was no lawful basis for his expulsion and that he faced 'unconstitutional arrest, punitive detention and expulsion' for exercising First Amendment rights.
His lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, said: 'The federal government can't deport a green card holder like Imran Ahmed, with a wife and young child who are American, simply because it doesn't like what he has to say.'
Background of the CCDH and Legal Battles
Imran Ahmed, a former political adviser to the UK Labour Party, founded the US-registered non-profit CCDH in 2018. The organisation has frequently criticised high-profile figures for spreading misinformation, including Elon Musk and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In 2021, CCDH published its 'Disinformation Dozen' report, which named individuals it said were responsible for most anti-vaccine misinformation online. In 2023, Elon Musk's X Corp. sued the CCDH over a report alleging the platform tolerated hate speech; a federal judge dismissed that case in March 2024.
The latest judicial intervention marks a significant development in a transatlantic dispute over online speech, regulation, and the reach of US authority. The case continues to highlight the tensions between combating digital harm and protecting free expression.
