WASHINGTON — The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and Protect Democracy has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in their lawsuit on behalf of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research (CITR), asking a federal court to block a U.S. immigration policy that targets noncitizen researchers, advocates, fact-checkers, and trust and safety workers for visa denials, revocations, detention, and deportation based on their work studying and reporting on social media platforms.
The lawsuit alleges that the policy violates the First Amendment by penalizing particular viewpoints and deterring independent research about social media and other internet platforms. It also raises claims under the Fifth Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act.
CITR’s motion asks the court to halt enforcement of the policy while the case proceeds, explaining that its members are already self-censoring by curtailing research, avoiding speaking publicly about their work, and limiting their participation in advocacy efforts for fear of being targeted by the government for their public-interest work.
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