Imran Ahmed, head of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and a close associate of Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, has launched legal action against the Trump administration following threats of deportation.
The former Labour adviser, who lives in Washington DC, filed his complaint in the Southern District of New York against Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials.
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order preventing any attempt to arrest or detain him.
The case will return to court on December 29.
Imran Ahmed has launched legal action against the Trump administration following threats of deportation
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Mr Ahmed leads the CCDH, an organisation established by Mr McSweeney in 2017 with the aim of combating anti-Semitism online.
The group has since expanded its focus to tackle disinformation and harmful content across social media platforms.
Mr Ahmed said: "My life's work is to protect children from the dangers of unregulated social media and AI, and fight the spread of anti-Semitism online."
He added that this mission had brought him into conflict with technology executives, particularly Elon Musk, on multiple occasions.
The CCDH has expanded its focus to tackle disinformation and harmful content across social media platforms
| PARather than celebrating Christmas with his family, Mr Ahmed said he was instead battling what he described as his "unlawful deportation".
The Trump administration says the visa sanctions are part of a wider push to tackle foreign interference in US online platforms.
Mr Rubio accused European "ideologues" of mounting "organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose", declaring that such "extraterritorial censorship" would no longer be tolerated.
Sarah Rogers, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, alleged Mr Ahmed had been a “key collaborator” in the Biden administration’s attempts to “weaponise the government” against US citizens.
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Mr Rubio accused European 'ideologues' of mounting 'organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose'
| REUTERSOfficials also claimed the CCDH sought to censor Elon Musk’s platform X.
During the pandemic, the organisation labelled Robert F Kennedy Jr among its "disinformation dozen", calling for his removal from social media over anti-vaccine content.
Mr Ahmed's lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, defended her client's work, saying: "The state department's actions here are unjustified and blatantly unconstitutional."
She said her client "has dedicated his life to protecting people (including children) from the violence and misinformation flooding social media".
Officials claimed the CCDH sought to censor Elon Musk’s platform X
|REUTERS
The legal complaint names Mr Rubio, Ms Rogers, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as defendants.
The Trump administration has indicated further sanctions could follow, potentially affecting serving politicians or officials.
A Government spokesman acknowledged that "every country has the right to set its own visa rules".
However, he added that the Government "support the laws and institutions which are working to keep the internet free from the most harmful content".
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