Rights group files suit over U.S. no-fly list

Reuters ^ | June 30, 2010

[Free ThinkerNY]

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday filed suit over the U.S. government's "no-fly list," saying it violates individuals' rights.

The suit, filed on behalf of 10 U.S. citizens or lawful residents, says thousands have been barred from commercial air travel with no chance to address the basis for their apparent inclusion on the list.

An ACLU lawyer on Wednesday said the complaint was the first to be filed on behalf of U.S. legal residents seeking systemic reform and raising the issue of constitutionality because of the lack of a procedure for people to challenge their inclusion on the list.

At least one previous suit has been filed by a noncitizen in a bid to get herself removed from the list.

People on the no-fly list, which came into existence after the September 11, 2001, attacks, are banned from flying inside the United States as well as to and from the country.

"This the first systemic suit ... saying look, it's unconstitutional that the government doesn't give you a way to get off," said Nusrat Choudhury, an attorney with the National Security Project of the ACLU.

She said the 10 plaintiffs had been placed on the list sometime this year and do not know why they are on it. She also said government reports indicate the list has swelled since last year's attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner flying from Amsterdam to Detroit.

Plaintiffs "don't have a way to tell the government that they shouldn't be on this list and to find out the reasons why and stand up for themselves," Choudhury said.

Defendants named in the suit are U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, FBI Chief Robert Mueller and Timothy Healy, the director of the Terrorist Screening Center

[Clint Williams]

As a potential passenger I still don't want anyone who was ever on that list to get onto a plane with me

As a potential passenger I demand a full background check of every potential co-passenger and detailed list of every single one of their violations of law.

I just need to know with whom I am flying, that's all.

What was your mother's maiden name, again?

[Redcloak]

You do not have a civil right to fly, any more than you have a civil right to drive a car.

How about buying a gun? If Obama and Chuckles Schumer gets their way, you won't be able to buy a gun if some faceless bureaucrat puts you on the "no-fly" list.