Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a policy that sought to deny visas to foreign nationals accused of helping suppress Americans' free speech.
According to Fox News, Boasberg ruled earlier this month that the State Department could not restrict visas for foreign officials and others believed to be responsible for or complicit in censorship efforts.
He said the government has a legitimate interest in responding to foreign officials who use their authority to suppress protected speech in the United States.
However, the judge said the policy could violate the First Amendment by targeting certain viewpoints.
"The policy, at its core, does not burden all speech about platforms, all research into content moderation, or all advocacy about online harms," Boasberg wrote.
He argued the policy appeared to favor opposition to content moderation over those who support stricter moderation policies.
"The Government, in other words, has not set itself against everyone who speaks about platform governance," Boasberg added. "It has set itself against those whose work favors more moderation rather than less."
The policy followed a controversy during the Biden administration involving the Global Disinformation Index, an organization that created ratings of news websites and received federal funding.
Conservatives argued that the group's work contributed to advertisers pulling revenue from conservative news outlets and raised free-speech concerns.
The State Department's policy sought to restrict visa access for individuals connected to GDI and similar organizations.
Boasberg's ruling adds to a series of high-profile legal clashes involving President Donald Trump's administration.
He previously blocked the administration's effort to rapidly deport Venezuelan migrants and ordered officials to preserve Signal messages related to discussions among senior national security officials about planned U.S. strikes in Yemen.
Trump has criticized Boasberg and called for his impeachment. The Justice Department also filed a misconduct complaint against the judge, accusing him of overreach, while Chief Justice John Roberts rejected impeachment as an appropriate response to unfavorable judicial decisions.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., criticized Boasberg's ruling, arguing that visas are a privilege rather than a constitutional right.
The lawsuit was brought by the Coalition for Independent Technology Research, a nonprofit representing academics and journalists.
Boasberg's decision is only a temporary stay and does not resolve the underlying case. The State Department could also seek an appeal of the order, leaving the administration's policy facing further legal review.