US judge blocks deportation of CCDH boss amid Trump crackdown
- By Web Desk -
- Dec 29, 2025
A federal judge has temporarily prevented the Trump administration from arresting or deporting Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).
The New York Times reports that Ahmed is among five researchers and regulators whose work on online abuse and disinformation has angered the U.S. State Department, which announced this week that they are barred from entry into the country.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described these individuals as “radical activists and weaponized NGOs” who have “organized efforts to force American platforms to censor, demonetize, and silence viewpoints they oppose.”
The judge’s order protects Ahmed, who finds himself in a precarious position. Although he was born in the UK, he holds a U.S. green card, resides in the United States, and has an American wife and child.
Speaking to PBS News, Ahmed characterized the government’s actions as “another example of companies like Meta, OpenAI, and Elon Musk’s X trying to avoid responsibility by using their financial influence to sway politics.”
Background
The CCDH has frequently clashed with social media platforms over their content moderation policies. Notably, a lawsuit filed by X (formerly Twitter) against the CCDH was dismissed by a federal judge last year, though an appeal remains pending.