Judge Rules No-Fly List Is Unconstitutional

iStock/Thinkstock(SEATTLE) — An important defense against potential terrorists boarding planes in the U.S. was deemed unconstitutional Tuesday by a federal judge in Seattle.

U.S. District Judge Anna Brown agreed with 13 Muslim Americans that the so-called no-fly list “constitutes a significant deprivation of their liberty interests in international travel.”

Brown added that once someone has been put on the list, they have little recourse to prove they are no threat to other passengers and the airline industry as a whole.

The no-fly list, instituted after the 9/11 attacks, prevents people either with proven or suspected ties to terrorism from flying within the U.S. or outside the country. Thousands have been put on the list since 2003.

The plaintiffs in the case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union said they weren’t aware of their no-fly status until they actually tried to go through security. Four of them were members of the U.S. military.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department, which defended the no-fly list, argued that those who feel they were unjustly singled out can petition a U.S. appeals court.


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