Featured Image Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Politics
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Politics
A British man and woman have been barred from the United States by President Donald Trump this week, after voicing largely left-wing viewpoints.
The US leader isn't shy when it comes to keeping unwanted visitors out of his country - much to the dismay of many of his citizens.
In June 2025, Trump signed a proclamation imposing travel bans and restrictions on foreign nationals based on nationality, disallowing visits from citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The 79-year-old Republican also placed partial bans on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Advert
Earlier this month, however, the right-wing frontman instated his most controversial ban yet, placing sanctions that disallow visits from specific foreign individuals - not on nationality grounds, but for alleged involvement in foreign tech regulation and online content moderation.
Such is the case for British nationals Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford, who were recently barred following accusations of seeking to 'suppress American viewpoints they oppose', in that their jobs campaign against misinformation and hate speech online.
It was Secretary of State Marco Rubio that broke the news last week, confirming that a total of five Europeans - including the two from the UK - would no longer step foot in America, with their presence ‘potentially' risking 'serious adverse foreign policy consequences'.
These five individuals are alleged to have fronted organised efforts to 'coerce' online platforms in a bid to censure perspectives they oppose.
In Ahmed's case, it's his work as leader for the Centre for Countering Digital Hate that has landed him in hot water with Trump, despite him having held a permanent US visa and lived in Washington, D.C., for some time.
As such, he has decided to sue the Republican administration, insisting he will 'not be bullied' for his mission.
"My life’s work is to protect children from the dangers of unregulated social media and AI and fight the spread of antisemitism online," Ahmed, a former Labour adviser, told the BBC. "That mission has pitted me against big tech executives – and Elon Musk in particular – multiple times."
He added: "I am proud to call the United States my home. My wife and daughter are American, and instead of spending Christmas with them, I am fighting to prevent my unlawful deportation from my home country.
"I will not be bullied away from my life’s work of fighting to keep children safe from social media’s harm and stopping antisemitism online."
Melford - the co-founder and executive director of the Global Disinformation Index - was recently dealt a similar punishment for her work.
Her representative told the press: "The Trump administration is, once again, using the full weight of the federal government to intimidate, censor and silence voices they disagree with.
"Their actions today are immoral, unlawful and un-American."