Posted on 09/09/2019 11:31:23 AM PDT by BigKahuna
A federal judge on September 4th ruled unconstitutional the government’s list of “known or suspected terrorists” – formally known as the Terrorist Screening Database. The ruling for plaintiffs, who may or may not even be on the ‘terrorist watchlist,’ was delivered by Judge Anthony Trenga of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and is a blow to federal government efforts to combat terrorism.
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The lawsuit had been brought by 23 Muslims who were American citizens and who also claimed they'd been included on the watchlist. Their complaints involved being secretly flagged and placed on the the list without any clear methodology on the part of the government being used. Because of the secrecy attached to the watchlist, government attorneys declined to say if the individuals were or were not, in fact, actually in the database. In bringing their case, the plaintiffs were represented by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its attorneys, who’d claimed the list amounted to nothing more than a “secret Muslim registry.”
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The database’s main purpose is to point out those known or suspected of terrorism and prevent them from “attempting to obtain visas, enter the country, board an aircraft, or engage in other activities.” The government maintains that inclusion on the watchlist comes only when there is reasonable suspicion that a person is a known or suspected terrorist. Also, the feds say, no one on the watchlist is there solely because of their “race, ethnicity, national origin, [or] religious affiliation.” Regular “comprehensive and case-specific quality assurance reviews of data” in the watchlist are also carried out to ensure those included in it truly belong there.
(Excerpt) Read more at h4-solutions.com ...
Eh, I suppose it was just a matter of time until some federal judge somewhere threw it out on due process grounds. Apparently, once you're included in it, it's a bear to get off of it.
“Apparently, once you’re included in it, it’s a bear to get off of it. “
Which is why it was thrown out. And it should’ve been.
If the gov is going to abuse their authority, then they’re going to have it taken away.
This will probably be replaced by the ‘red flag laws’.
That’s not then the fault of the judge nor the people bringing the suit.
The fault is with the legislature for bringing in to being such a law without all of the i’s dotted and t’s crossed.
They should have provided methods to clear any wrongly held names in accordance with the Constitution.
There is simply no reason to pass a law that does not pass a Constutional review.
ALL domestic enemies are doing their best against America now, because they know NO ONE WILL BE PROSECUTED.
DEATH KNELL for “Red Flag Laws”!
This is great news.
-—and this should have some major implication for “red flag” laws-—
Replace “Terrorist Watch List” with “Potential Mass Shooter Watch List” to understand what I mean.
My take on it is that the info used to compile the list all comes from intelligence agencies.
And intelligence agencies just shot their credibility in both feet and in the a** with their attempted coup against Trump.
So you can’t really blame a judge for doubting the veracity of their list.
“DEATH KNELL for “Red Flag Laws”!
This is great news.’”
You kind of make a good point about the due process flaws inherent in both the terrorist watchlist and those so-called “red flag laws” (AKA “Grabbing guns from law-abiding citizens” laws ;).
My guess is the left will be all “Due process for me but not for thee” when it comes to that red flag stuff, though. Ugh.
The idea is to appeal to patriotism as a means of giving up rights. That’s was what the Patriot act was all about.
Conservatives fell for this crap before, but less so now.
“And intelligence agencies just shot their credibility in both feet and in the a** with their attempted coup against Trump.
So you can’t really blame a judge for doubting the veracity of their list.”
Yeah, there’s certainly that to consider, given the IC (intelligence community, including the FBI) just spent the last four years first trying to prevent Trump from becoming president and then trying to end his presidency once he got into office.
So the FBI and the feds telling the judge “Trust us, we’re clean as a hound’s tooth when it comes to maintaining the terrorist watchlist” probably didn’t go over too well with that Trenga guy.
How many terrorists or dangerous folks were apprehended?
I think whether the watchlist works is a secret as well. “Trust us,” say the feds. “It’s all good in the hood.” ;-)
I was on the list for a bit. Not sure why, but I assume it was because I traveled to crappy countries.
Never mind I traveled to crappy counties at the behest of the United Stars and my company was paid by the USA to go there.
It was a real problem and a stupid system.
In the Eastern District of Virginia there are TWO VACANT DISTRICT JUDGESHIPS on this 11-judge federal district court. Let’s get those vacancies filled. Lindsey Graham and Mitch McDonald, GET ON THE STICK!
“Travel Red Flag” list would work, too.
All non-citizen Muslims should be deported to the Islamic hellhole of their choice, and all citizen Muslims should be under surveillance. So the list is valid.
It is a red flag law.
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