UK tech campaigner sues Trump administration over US sanctions

According to court documents, the head of a well-known anti-disinformation watchdog has sued President Donald Trump’s administration over a US visa ban, claiming it is a “unconstitutional” attempt to deport the permanent resident of the United States.

The US State Department announced this week that five European figures involved in tech regulation would not be granted visas, including Imran Ahmed, a British national who leads the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).

They were charged by the government with trying to “coerce” US-based social media companies into suppressing opinions they disagree with. Strongly denouncing the action, the European Union and a number of its member nations pledged to protect Europe’s regulatory independence.

The campaigner filed his complaint Wednesday in a New York district court against Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, US Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

Ahmed, a critic of billionaire Elon Musk, holds US permanent residency, commonly known as a “green card.”

“I am proud to call the United States my home,” he said in a statement. “My wife and daughter are American, and instead of spending Christmas with them, I am fighting to prevent my unlawful deportation from my home country.”

Ahmed faces the “imminent prospect of unconstitutional arrest, punitive detention, and expulsion” from the United States, the court filing said.

A district judge, however, issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Ahmed’s detention or arrest; a follow-up hearing is set for Monday.

The State Department declined to comment when contacted on Thursday.

“The Supreme Court and Congress have repeatedly made clear: the United States is under no obligation to allow foreign aliens to come to our country or reside here,” stated a spokeswoman.

Ahmed was sanctioned, according to Rogers, because he was a “key collaborator” in attempts by the administration of former President Joe Biden to “weaponize the government” against American individuals.