The Latest: Judge to rule soon on US terror watchlist
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The Latest on a federal challenge of the U.S. terror watchlist (all times local):
12:30 p.m.
A federal judge says he will rule in the near future on the constitutionality of a government watchlist that purportedly includes more than 1 million “known or suspected terrorists.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations sued in 2016 to challenge the watchlist on behalf of Muslim Americans who say they were wrongly placed on it and suffered negative consequences as a result.
Government lawyers say the list is a necessary tool to fight terrorism.
But the plaintiffs argued at a hearing in Alexandria on Thursday that the list is disseminated far too broadly. They say people on the list face not only travel woes at airports and border crossings but also difficulty completing financial transactions and interacting with police.
The plaintiffs also say the standard for inclusion is overbroad, and innocent Muslims are routinely listed by mistake.
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1 a.m.
A federal judge will hear arguments on whether a government watchlist of more than 1 million known or suspected terrorists violates the Constitution.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations sued in 2016 on behalf of Muslim Americans who say they were wrongly placed on the list and suffered negative consequences as a result.
The government’s no-fly and selectee lists, which bar some people from flying and force others to go through extra screening, are derived from the watchlist.
The plaintiffs say the list is disseminated so broadly that those listed face not only travel woes but also difficulty completing financial transactions and interacting with police.
The plaintiffs also say the standard for inclusion is overbroad and innocent Muslims are routinely listed by mistake.
A hearing is scheduled Thursday in Alexandria.
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