An American Judge Prevents the Trump Administration from Detaining a British Activist Opposed to Media Misinformation

SadaNews - An American judge temporary barred President Donald Trump's administration last night from detaining British activist against media misinformation, Imran Ahmed, after the permanent resident in the United States filed a lawsuit against officials regarding his entry ban for his role in what Washington calls Internet censorship.

On Tuesday, Washington imposed a visa ban on Ahmed and four Europeans, including former French EU Commissioner Thierry Breton. They were accused of working to impose censorship on freedom of expression or unfairly targeting American tech giants by imposing draconian regulatory measures. Ahmed lives in New York and is believed to be the only one among the five currently in the country.

This move has sparked protests from European governments who believe that regulatory measures and the work of monitoring-focused groups make the Internet safer by highlighting misinformation and forcing tech giants to make greater efforts to combat illegal content, including hate speech and materials that promote child sexual abuse.

For Ahmed, the 47-year-old CEO of the Digital Hate Center based in the United States, the ban raised concerns about imminent deportation that would separate him from his wife and child, both American citizens, according to a lawsuit he filed on Wednesday in the Southern District of New York.

When announcing the visa restrictions, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he decided the presence of the five in the United States posed potential serious consequences for U.S. foreign policy and thus they could be deported.

Ahmed mentioned in his lawsuit names of Rubio, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen, and other officials from the Trump administration, claiming that these officials are violating his rights to freedom of expression and the right to due process by threatening him with deportation.

U.S. District Court Judge Vernon Broderick issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday preventing officials from detaining Ahmed or arresting him or transferring him before he has the opportunity to have his case heard, scheduling a date for the parties to meet on December 29.

In response to questions about the case, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated, "The Supreme Court and Congress have repeatedly made it clear: the United States is not obligated to allow foreigners to come to our country or reside here."