British campaigner launches legal challenge against Trump administration after deportation threat
Source: The Guardian
Thu 25 Dec 2025 11.58 EST
Last modified on Fri 26 Dec 2025 00.13 EST
A British anti-disinformation campaigner close to Keir Starmer’s chief of staff has launched a legal challenge against the Trump administration after being told he could face deportation from the US in a row over freedom of speech.
Imran Ahmed, the chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), has filed a complaint against senior Trump allies including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the attorney general, Pam Bondi, in an attempt to prevent what he says would be an unconstitutional arrest and removal.
The court filing, lodged in the southern district of New York, claims Ahmed is being targeted over his organisation’s work scrutinising social media companies – including Elon Musk’s X – in violation of his first amendment rights. It also argues there is no credible basis for the detention and expulsion of Ahmed, who lives lawfully in Washington DC with his American wife and child, and is a friend of Morgan McSweeney, the No 10 chief of staff.
The CCDH has previously incurred the wrath of Musk over reports chronicling the rise of racist, antisemitic and extremist content on X since he took over the platform. Musk tried unsuccessfully to sue the organisation last year before calling it a “criminal organisation”. Ahmed is one of five Europeans targeted by the US state department in the past week. They have been accused of leading efforts to pressure technology firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/25/british-campaigner-llegal-challenge-trump-administration-deportation
Link to Centre for Countering Digital Hate NEWS RELEASE - Statement on the unconstitutional attempt to arrest and expel Imran Ahmed from the United States
Link to Centre for Countering Digital Hate NEWS RELEASE - United States District Judge granted Imran Ahmed’s temporary restraining order
Link to ORDER (PDF viewer) - https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26441125-imran-ahmed-tro/
Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26441125/imran-ahmed-tro.pdf
REFERENCE - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143587489
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