Overview
- U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick issued a Christmas Day temporary restraining order blocking authorities from arresting or deporting Imran Ahmed.
- Ahmed, the Center for Countering Digital Hate CEO and a lawful U.S. permanent resident, sued after the State Department announced visa sanctions on him and four Europeans for allegedly coercing platforms to censor Americans.
- The court scheduled a Dec. 29 telephone conference to review the case, and Ahmed remains in the country with his American family under the order.
- Officials said the measures include visa bans and potential removal for those present in the U.S., while European leaders criticized the move as targeting efforts to curb harmful online content.
- Others named in the sanctions include former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, Global Disinformation Index CEO Clare Melford, and HateAid leaders Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, as the dispute spotlights First Amendment and due-process claims.