Judge blocks Trump's visa curbs for foreign researchers, trust & safety experts
A US federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's policy of denying visas to foreign researchers and trust-and-safety professionals. The court ruled that the policy likely violates First Amendment free speech protections by targeting individuals involved in content moderation and misinformation research.
Why it matters
This ruling protects the ability of international experts to collaborate with US-based organizations on critical issues like online hate speech and disinformation.
A US federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing an immigration policy that could deny visas or deport foreign researchers and trust-and-safety professionals working on misinformation, disinformation and online hate speech. Chief US District Judge James Boasberg ruled that the policy likely violates the free speech protections of the US Constitution's First Amendment. The decision also affects people linked to US-based organisations, including Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) CEO Imran Ahmed, who was among those previously targeted under the administration's visa restrictions.For those unaware, the State Department imposed visa bans on five Europeans, including Imran Ahmed, the British CEO of the U.S.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate, and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index in December last year. As per the lawsuit, both organisations are members of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research.
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