A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked U.S. sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a United Nations expert on Palestinian territories, ruling that the Trump administration likely violated her First Amendment rights when imposing the measures.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon found that the sanctions against Albanese, an Italian lawyer who serves as UN special rapporteur on Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, were likely imposed in response to her criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza. The sanctions barred Albanese from entering the United States and from banking there.

Albanese has been critical of Israel's conduct during its war against Hamas in Gaza and has recommended that the International Criminal Court pursue war crimes prosecutions against Israeli and U.S. nationals. Her work as UN special rapporteur has focused on examining the situation in territories occupied by Israel.

The temporary injunction prevents the Trump administration from enforcing the sanctions while the case proceeds through the courts. Judge Leon's ruling suggests that imposing sanctions based on Albanese's criticism of a U.S. ally raises significant constitutional concerns regarding freedom of speech.

The case highlights tensions between the Trump administration's support for Israel and international criticism of the military campaign in Gaza. Albanese's role as a UN human rights investigator has put her at the center of debates over accountability for actions taken during the conflict.