Imran Ahmed, head of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, sues the Trump administration to fight deportation after being sanctioned.
NEW YORK: The head of a prominent anti-disinformation group is suing the Trump administration over a US visa ban.
Imran Ahmed, a British national who leads the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), filed the complaint in a New York district court.
He is among five European figures in tech regulation whom the US State Department said this week would be denied visas.
The department accused them of attempting to “coerce” US-based social media platforms into censoring opposing viewpoints.
Ahmed 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.”
The court filing said Ahmed faces the “imminent prospect of unconstitutional arrest, punitive detention, and expulsion”.
A district judge has since granted a temporary restraining order barring his arrest or detention.
A further hearing is scheduled for Monday.
When reached for comment, the State Department expressed defiance.
“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,” a spokesperson said.
Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers said Ahmed was sanctioned as a “key collaborator” in efforts by the former Biden administration.
“My life’s work is to protect children from the dangers of unregulated social media and AI and fight the spread of antisemitism online,” Ahmed said.
“I will not be bullied away from my life’s work.”
The crackdown also targeted former European commissioner Thierry Breton and leaders of German nonprofit HateAid.
The European Commission condemned the move and said it was seeking clarification from Washington.
Breton, the EU’s former top tech regulator, often clashed with tycoons including Elon Musk over their obligations to follow EU rules.
The State Department described him as the “mastermind” of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The DSA imposes content moderation and transparency standards on major social media platforms operating in Europe.
US conservatives see the act as a weapon of censorship, an accusation the EU furiously denies.
Ahmed’s CCDH has frequently clashed with Musk, reporting a spike in misinformation on X since his 2022 takeover.
