Name: Judge blocks detention of anti-disinformation campaigner Imran Ahmed
Uploaded: 2025-12-30T00:43:20.568Z
Duration: 4 min 49 s
Description: The Trump administration is attempting to ban a group of European online researchers from entering or remaining in the U.S.

The Trump administration is attempting to ban a group of European online researchers from entering or remaining in the U.S.

Washington

A federal judge has issued a temporary order preventing the arrest and deportation of Imran Ahmed, a permanent U.S. resident and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Ahmed, along with four other European researchers, has been denied U.S. visas and faces removal proceedings, with the government accusing them of suppressing American viewpoints and coercing tech companies to censor free speech.

Ahmed and his organization argue their work focuses on exposing harmful content and hate speech on social media platforms. The case has drawn attention due to its timing, following a significant EU fine against Elon Musk's X platform, and has prompted debate over free speech, tech regulation, and the influence of major technology companies.

Judge blocks detention of anti-disinformation campaigner Imran Ahmed

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS ATTEMPTING TO BAN A GROUP OF EUROPEAN ONLINE RESEARCHERS. THEY ARE CALLING FOR FOREIGN CENSORS FROM ENTERING OR EVEN REMAINING IN THIS COUNTRY. SCRIPTURE'S NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT KATIE TUTMAN HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE STORY AND IS LIVE IN NEW YORK WHERE THIS CASE IS UNFOLDING. AND KATIE, WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING AT THIS HOUR? WELL, DELL, THAT'S RIGHT. A GROUP OF FIVE EUROPEAN RESEARCHERS WHO LOOK INTO DISINFORMATION, HARMFUL CONTENT, OR OTHER CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS THAT COULD CAUSE MISINFORMATION OR SPREAD MISINFORMATION. THESE RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN DENIED U.S. VISAS AND ARE BEING BARRED FROM COMING INTO THE U.S. AND ONE OF THOSE RESEARCHERS IS EVEN BEING SOUGHT OUT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BE ARRESTED AND DEPORTED. NOW THE GOVERNMENT IS ACCUSING THEM OF SUPPRESSING AMERICAN VIEWPOINTS AS WELL AS SEEKING TO COERCE TECH PLATFORMS INTO CENSORING FREE SPEECH. AND THIS GROUP IS SAYING THAT'S NOT THE CASE, THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO CALL OUT HARMFUL INFORMATION. NOW, THIS IS THE REASONING THE GOVERNMENT IS GIVING US JUSTIFICATION FOR IMPOSING VISAS, THESE VISA BANS, AND ATTEMPTING REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS OF IMRAN AHMED. THAT'S ONE OF THE FIVE. HE'S THE CEO OF THE CENTER FOR COUNTERING DIGITAL HATE, A NON-PROFIT THAT HAS BEEN FOCUSING ON CALLING OUT PROBLEMS HE'S SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. AND A FEDERAL JUDGE, AS OF LAST WEEK, TEMPORARILY BLOCKED OFFICIALS FROM ARRESTING AND DEPORTING AHMED AROUND CHRISTMAS. AND HE IS A PERMANENT RESIDENT, AND HAS SINCE FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP THE VISA SANCTIONS AGAINST HIM. AND WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT HIS CASE, AND HERE'S WHAT HE TOLD US. This is a real surprise to come just before Christmas to be told by the U.S. government that for my advocacy, for my speech, that I could be deported. And you know, even more so when you consider that what our speech has been is protecting the public by doing critical research on the harms caused by social media and AI platforms to our kids, our communities, and our democracy. And what I find so bizarre is that we're being punished for something that actually protects the American people. The only conclusion I can draw is that this is being done at the behest of big tech executives, arrogant, indifferent to the harm they cause, and frankly sociopathic in their greed. Now the work from Ahmed's organization has included how platforms either make money off of hate speech, such as anti-Semitism, or pushes dangerous content, such as videos about eating disorders to young girls, or telling young people how to harm themselves through AI. Now Ahmed told us that he hopes that ultimately his First Amendment rights are going to be reinforced by the courts and that he gets to go back to spending time with his wife and daughter. Del? And Katie, what about the timing of this case? What do you make of the move to ban these researchers from the U.S. right now? As people who have been following this, it's not missed on a lot of those people because it seems rather odd that the timing is happening right now, especially those of us who work in the disinformation space. Absolutely. I mean, the timing is noticeable and not missed on any of us in this space covering disinformation. Now this case comes just a few weeks after Elon Musk's X platform was fined $140 million for breaching the EU's landmark tech regulation. And I spoke with a top disinformation researcher, Nina Jankiewicz, who pointed out the timing of the EU's fine against X and now the targeting of these five European researchers, one of whom is considered the architect behind the tech regulation. And here's Nina. We're dealing with five people who have really held to account not only the tech companies, but groups and individuals that traffic in online hate. Anything from anti-Semitism, you name it, harms against children, you know, far right or far left extremism, we've seen it all. There is no censorship here coming from those activists. The only censorship that I see in this situation is coming from the Trump administration itself. Now the EU's find out is the first of its kind under this regulation. And in response, Musk's called for the EU to be abolished completely. And the Trump administration also came to the billionaire's defense, calling the fine censorship and an attack on American companies and citizens over quote, garbage. Now these researchers don't see their work as so, and instead they see it as pointing out problems that these platforms have while calling on the tech companies to do something about it. And this is definitely not the response they were hoping for. Del. You know, it's fascinating. It is that that collision between people who make a lot of money and because of that money, they have a very powerful voice. But the question always then has to be asked, how much is that voice worth versus the average person who simply believes he is doing his or her job? Scripps News National Correspondent, Katie Tubman, live for us. Katie, as always, we thank you. Thanks Del.

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