Judge grants injunction blocking US from detaining British anti-disinformation activist

By Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON, Dec 25 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from detaining British anti-disinformation campaigner Imran Ahmed, after the U.S. permanent resident sued officials over an entry ban for his role in what Washington argues is online censorship.

Washington imposed visa bans on Tuesday on Ahmed and four Europeans, including French former EU commissioner Thierry Breton. It accuses them of working to censor freedom of speech or unfairly target U.S. tech giants with burdensome regulation. Ahmed lives in New York and is believed to be the only of the five currently in the country.

The move sparked an outcry from European governments who argue regulations and the work of monitoring groups made the internet safer by highlighting false information and compelling tech giants to do more to tackle illegal content, including hate speech and child sexual abuse material.

For Ahmed, the 47-year-old CEO of the U.S.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate, it also sparked fears of imminent deportation that would separate him from his wife and child, both U.S. citizens, according to a lawsuit he filed on Wednesday in the Southern District of New York.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, when announcing the visa restrictions, said he had determined the presence of the five in the United States had potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States and they could therefore be deported.

Ahmed named Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other Trump officials in his lawsuit, arguing officials were violating his rights to free speech and due process with the threat of deportation.

U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday, which enjoined officials from arresting, detaining or transferring Ahmed before he has an opportunity for his case to be heard, and scheduled a conference between the parties for December 29.

Ahmed, in a statement provided by a representative, praised the U.S. legal system's checks and balances and said he was proud to call the country his home. "I will not be bullied away from my life’s work of fighting to keep children safe from social media’s harm and stopping antisemitism online," he said.

In response to questions about the case, a State Department spokesperson said: "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."

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.

Legal permanent residents, known as green card holders, do not need a visa to remain in the U.S., but the Trump administration has attempted to deport at least one already this year.

Mahmoud Khalil, detained in March after his prominent involvement in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, was released by a judge who argued punishing someone over a civil immigration matter was unconstitutional.

A U.S. immigration judge in September ordered Khalil to be deported over claims he omitted information from his green card application, but he appealed that ruling and separate orders blocking his deportation remain in place. 

(Reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Chris Reese)