Overview
- U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick issued a temporary restraining order on Christmas Day blocking authorities from arresting, detaining, or deporting Imran Ahmed pending further court review.
- The case follows State Department visa restrictions on Ahmed and four other Europeans for allegedly coercing U.S. platforms to suppress American viewpoints, which officials said pose serious foreign policy consequences.
- Ahmed, a British citizen and U.S. permanent resident living in Washington with his American wife and child, sued senior officials and argues the threatened removal violates his free‑speech and due‑process rights.
- A court conference is scheduled for Dec. 29 to determine next steps, while visa bans for the others—including Thierry Breton, Clare Melford, and two leaders of Germany’s HateAid—remain in effect.
- The administration defended its stance by stressing the United States has no obligation to admit or host foreign nationals, as European critics and a UK government statement framed the sanctions as targeting efforts to curb online harm.