On March 9, 2026, the Knight Institute and Protect Democracy filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a U.S. immigration policy that targets noncitizen researchers, advocates, fact-checkers, and trust and safety workers through visa denials, revocations, detention, and deportation based on their work. Filed on behalf of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research (CITR), the suit alleges that the policy punishes people based on their perceived viewpoints, chills protected speech, and distorts public debate about social media and other internet platforms.

The government has framed the policy as an effort to combat “censorship” of Americans’ speech online and has reportedly applied it to individuals deemed “complicit” in that censorship. The policy and its enforcement have instilled fear within the research community, causing some to curtail their work, withdraw from public advocacy, and reconsider their ability to continue working in the United States.

The lawsuit alleges that the policy violates the First Amendment, including by interfering with the rights of CITR and its U.S. citizen members to hear from and associate with noncitizen colleagues; is impermissibly vague; and violates the Administrative Procedure Act. The plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief barring enforcement of the policy.

Status: Complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on March 9, 2026.

Case Information: Coalition for Independent Technology Research v. Rubio, No. 1:26-cv-815 (D.D.C.)