Legal battle erupts after US moves against European critics of online platforms
A British anti-disinformation campaigner closely associated with Keir Starmer’s chief of staff has initiated a legal challenge against the Trump administration after being informed he could face deportation from the US over a dispute concerning freedom of speech.
Imran Ahmed, the CEO of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), has filed a complaint against senior Trump allies, including the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, in an effort to prevent what he claims would be an unconstitutional arrest and removal.
The court filing, submitted in the Southern District of New York, alleges Ahmed is being targeted over his organization’s scrutiny of social media companies – including Elon Musk’s X – in violation of his First Amendment rights.
It also argues there is no credible basis for the detention and expulsion of Ahmed, who lawfully resides in Washington DC with his American wife and child, and is a friend of Morgan McSweeney, the No 10 chief of staff.
The CCDH has previously angered Musk over reports documenting the rise of racist, antisemitic, and extremist content on X since he took over the platform. Musk attempted unsuccessfully to sue the organization last year before labeling it a “criminal organization.”
Ahmed is one of five Europeans targeted by the US State Department in the past week. They have been accused of leading efforts to pressure technology firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints.
Rubio accused the five – who also include former EU commissioner Thierry Breton – of leading “organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose.”
Sarah Rogers, a State Department official, posted on X: “Our message is clear: if you spend your career fomenting censorship of American speech, you’re unwelcome on American soil.”
The sanctions are being seen as the latest attack on European regulations targeting hate speech and misinformation. Campaigners in the UK have warned the British government could be further targeted if the Trump administration intensifies its attacks on tech regulation.
In a statement, Ahmed said: “My life’s work is to protect children from the dangers of unregulated social media and AI and fight the spread of antisemitism online. That mission has pitted me against big tech executives – and Elon Musk in particular – multiple times.
“I am proud to call the United States my home. 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.”
Roberta Kaplan, Ahmed’s legal counsel, added: “The State Department’s actions here are unjustified and blatantly unconstitutional.
“Imran is proud to call the United States his home. Instead of spending Christmas with his wife and child, he has been forced to spend the holiday fighting to prevent his unlawful deportation. It is hard to think of anything more un-American than that.”
Ahmed was sanctioned alongside UK-based Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index (GDI). Musk has also called for the GDI to be shut down over its criticism of right-wing websites for spreading disinformation.
A British government spokesperson said: “While every country has the right to set its own visa rules, we support the laws and institutions that are working to keep the internet free from the most harmful content.”
On Thursday evening, a US District Judge granted Ahmed a temporary restraining order preventing Rubio and others “from arresting or detaining the plaintiff pending further order of the court.”
Ahmed and Kaplan both welcomed the move, with Kaplan saying the order had been granted so quickly “because it is so obvious that Marco Rubio and the other defendants’ actions were blatantly unconstitutional… We look forward to the hearing before the court on Monday.”
World Affairs Correspondent
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