A New York federal judge has intervened to block the Trump administration from deporting Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) CEO Imran Ahmed after the State Department announced sanctions against him and four other Europeans for waging censorship campaigns against Americans.
In a Christmas Day ruling, Judge Vernon S. Broderick, of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York, issued a temporary restraining order barring Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Under Secretary of State Sarah B. Rogers, among others, from detaining Imran Ahmed.
Ahmed, a British citizen of Afghan heritage, is a current resident of the United States on a Green Card. The former Labour Party advisor was among five Euro-area citizens to be sanctioned this week with visa bans and deportation orders by the State Department for their role in leading “organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose.”
Ahmed’s Centre for Countering Digital Hate, which was founded with the involvement of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s now Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeny, has long attempted to censor and deplatform conservative news outlets in the United States, including Breitbart News.
More recently, the CCDH had said in internal documents its mission is to “Kill Musk’s Twitter” after the platform rolled back many of the draconian censorship regulations imposed before Tesla boss Elon Musk bought the social media firm.
Announcing the visa ban on Tuesday, Under Secretary of State Sarah B. Rogers said, “if you spend your career fomenting censorship of American speech, you’re unwelcome on American soil.”
Yet, Ahmed, who was the only one of the five sanctioned to be residing in the United States, launched a successful emergency appeal, arguing that his deportation would be “unlawful” and “unconstitutional” while asserting that his removal would infringe upon freedom of speech.
Following the ruling from the Southern District of New York, Ahmed’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said in a statement: “That was fast. Judge Broderick granted our request for a temporary restraining order so quickly because it is so obvious that Marco Rubio and the other defendants’ actions were blatantly unconstitutional. Americans should be grateful for our clients’ courageous work to combat antisemitism, racism, as well as efforts to harm young children on social media.
“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. We look forward to the hearing before the Court on Monday.”
Ahmed added: “America is a great nation built on laws, with checks and balances to ensure power can never attain the unfettered primacy that leads to tyranny. The law, clear-eyed in understanding right and wrong, will stand in the way of those who seek to silence the truth and empower the bold who stand up to power. I believe in this system, and I am proud to call this country my home.
“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. Onward.”
In comments reported by the New York Times, the State Department said: “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.”
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