Federal judge rules terror watchlist violates constitutional rights
By Zack Budryk - 09/05/19 08:29 AM EDT
The federal government has violated the rights of more than 1 million people by placing them on a watchlist of “known or suspected terrorists,†a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
The plaintiffs, 23 U.S. citizens, argued, with the backing of the Council on American Islamic Relations, that they were wrongly placed on the list, causing “a range of adverse consequences without a constitutionally adequate remedy.â€
The plaintiffs, ruled U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, “have constitutionally protected liberty interests that are implicated by their inclusion†on the list, and the Department of Homeland Security process by which people listed on the watchlist can challenge their inclusion “is not constitutionally adequate to protect those liberty interests.â€
Trenga, a George W. Bush appointee, added “there is no evidence, or contention, that any of these plaintiffs satisfy the definition of a ’known terrorist’.†While Trenga’s ruling grants summary judgment to the plaintiffs, it directs both sides to file supplemental briefings on appropriate remedies before he rules further.
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https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/460039-federal-judge-rules-terror-watchlist-violates-constitutional-rights
