This morning, the Supreme Court announced that it the Child Online Protection Act case. The appeals court's ruling that the law in unconstitutional will therefore stand. We'll have more soon.
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Press ReleaseJul 2025
Free Speech
Privacy & Technology
Texas Social Media Law Violates First Amendment, 勛圖眻畦 Argues
SAN ANTONIO The 勛圖眻畦, the 勛圖眻畦 of Texas, and several other legal advocacy groups filed an amicus brief today in CCIA v. Paxton, arguing that a Texas law that restricts social media content for minors violates the First Amendment. If allowed to go into effect, this law will stifle young peoples creativity and cut them off from public discourse, said Lauren Yu, legal fellow with the 勛圖眻畦s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. The government cant protect minors by censoring the world around them, or by making it harder for them to discuss their problems with their peers. This law would unconstitutionally limit young peoples ability to express themselves online, develop critical thinking skills, and discover new perspectives, and it would make the entire internet less free for us all in the process. The brief argues that House Bill 18 (the SCOPE Act) restricts young peoples ability to use social media and blocks them from viewing content they have a constitutional right to see. The law, which was enjoined by a court last year, would require minors to register their age with social media platforms and would require platforms to filter content based on an overly broad definition of harmful to minors that includes any content that promote, glorifies, or facilitates a long list of topics, including eating disorders, bullying, and self-harm. The government should not be able to decide whats best for every child, said Chloe Kempf, staff attorney from the 勛圖眻畦 of Texas. This law would isolate kids who need community support, hinder families who want their children to learn about the world around them, and open the door to sweeping bans from Romeo and Juliet to content that is critical of the government. Whats framed as protecting our children is harming them by censoring their access to the ideas and information they need to prepare for their futures. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that minors have robust First Amendment rights, including online. Even when the goal is to protect children, the brief argues, the government cannot infringe upon core expressive activity. The brief was filed in support of Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice. CCIA & NetChoice originally filed suit against H.B. 18 in 2024. The amicus brief was filed in the Western District of Texas and was signed by the Cato Institute, the Student Press Law Center, TechFreedom, Wikimedia, and the Woodhull Freedom Foundation. The brief can be viewed online here.Court Case: CCIA v. PaxtonAffiliate: Texas -
Press ReleaseJul 2025
Free Speech
Immigrants' Rights
Mahmoud Khalil Seeks to Challenge Governments Retaliatory, Post-Facto Charges Against Him in Federal Court
Following Mahmoud Khalils historic release on June 20, 2025, his legal team today filed a preliminary injunction motion challenging the government's attempts to detain and deport him based on a second immigration charge regarding alleged misrepresentations on his green card application as unconstitutional. The new motion argues that the governments post-hoc charge, which it levied one week after Mr. Khalil filed his habeas petition, was retaliatory and violated Mr. Khalils First Amendment and Fifth Amendment due process rights. This action follows a couple significant rulings in June. First, the Court held that the original charges the government brought against Mr. Khalil the foreign policy ground were likely unconstitutional and blocked his detention on that basis. The government then shifted its justification for detention to the post-hoc charges. The following week, Judge Michael E. Farbiarz ordered Mr. Khalil's release, emphasizing that detention on such charges is extremely rare and affirming that he posed no danger or threat to the public. (The government has appealed both rulings, and is seeking to pause the release order in the appellate court.) The court has not yet formally blocked the second misrepresentation charge, as the motion now asks the court to do. Mr. Khalil, who the Trump administration detained for his speech in support of Palestinian rights, suffered in a remote detention facility in Jena, Louisiana for over three months more than 1,400 miles from his legal team, wife, and newborn son. Before the government issued these late-filed allegations against Mr. Khalil, their immigration case rested entirely on Secretary of State Marco Rubios foreign policy determination, which the federal court has now blocked. Below are quotes from Mr. Khalils legal team: The Trump administrations baseless, after-the-fact charges against Mahmoud Khalil are nothing more than further retaliation for his outspoken advocacy for Palestinian human rights, said Amy Belsher, Director of Immigrants Rights Litigation at the NYCLU. These flimsy accusations only reveal the targeted nature of his arrest and the ongoing attempts to silence and remove him. Its past time the government gave up its unlawful attacks on Mahmoud and his family. The government has gone to extraordinary and outrageous lengths in its attempt to silence Mahmoud Khalil, including leveling unsubstantiated and retaliatory charges against him, said Liza Weisberg, 勛圖眻畦-NJ Senior Staff Attorney. We will continue to defend Mr. Khalils freedom as he is targeted for his advocacy in support of Palestinian rights, and we are confident he will ultimately prevail." "The government is using these trumped up charges to continue punishing Mahmoud Khalil for his political beliefs," said Brian Hauss, senior staff attorney with the 勛圖眻畦's Speech, Privacy & Technology Project. "This is textbook retaliation. The First Amendment squarely prohibits the government from abusing its powers to suppress dissent." Mr. Khalil is represented by Dratel & Lewis, the Center for Constitutional Rights, CLEAR, Van Der Hout LLP, Washington Square Legal Services, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the 勛圖眻畦 of New Jersey, the 勛圖眻畦 of Louisiana, and the 勛圖眻畦 (勛圖眻畦).Court Case: Khalil v. TrumpAffiliates: New York, New Jersey -
PodcastJul 2025
Free Speech
The ABCs of Free Speech with Emerson Sykes
By: 勛圖眻畦