A US judge has temporarily blocked the detention of British social media campaigner Imran Ahmed, who took legal action against the US government over having his visa removed. The Center for Countering Digital Hate founder was among five people denied US visas after the Trump administration accused them of seeking to 'coerce' tech platforms into censoring free speech. The move brought a backlash from European leaders defending the work of organisations monitoring online content.
Mr. Ahmed, a US permanent resident, had warned that being detained and possibly deported would tear him away from his American wife and child. Praising the judge's decision, he told BBC News he would not be 'bullied'. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said online that the individuals were blocked over concerns that they had organised efforts to pressure US platforms to censor and punish American viewpoints they oppose.
Mr. Ahmed filed a legal complaint on Wednesday against officials including Rubio and US Attorney General Pamela Bondi over the decision to have him sanctioned. In court documents seen by the BBC, US District Judge Vernon S Broderick said on Thursday he had granted Mr. Ahmed's request for a temporary restraining order, blocking the officials from detaining Ahmed without due process.
The BBC has contacted the state department and White House for comment. A state department spokesperson remarked that the United States has no obligation to allow foreign nationals into the country.
Mr. Ahmed insisted, '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.' His lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, highlighted the judge's swift decision, stating that the federal government cannot deport a green card holder like Ahmed simply due to his viewpoint.
In 2023, Mr. Ahmed's centre faced a lawsuit from Elon Musk's social media company for reporting on an increase in hate speech since Musk's takeover, although the case was dismissed with an appeal pending.
Mr. Ahmed, a US permanent resident, had warned that being detained and possibly deported would tear him away from his American wife and child. Praising the judge's decision, he told BBC News he would not be 'bullied'. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said online that the individuals were blocked over concerns that they had organised efforts to pressure US platforms to censor and punish American viewpoints they oppose.
Mr. Ahmed filed a legal complaint on Wednesday against officials including Rubio and US Attorney General Pamela Bondi over the decision to have him sanctioned. In court documents seen by the BBC, US District Judge Vernon S Broderick said on Thursday he had granted Mr. Ahmed's request for a temporary restraining order, blocking the officials from detaining Ahmed without due process.
The BBC has contacted the state department and White House for comment. A state department spokesperson remarked that the United States has no obligation to allow foreign nationals into the country.
Mr. Ahmed insisted, '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.' His lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, highlighted the judge's swift decision, stating that the federal government cannot deport a green card holder like Ahmed simply due to his viewpoint.
In 2023, Mr. Ahmed's centre faced a lawsuit from Elon Musk's social media company for reporting on an increase in hate speech since Musk's takeover, although the case was dismissed with an appeal pending.
