A lawsuit filed in federal court in Texas accuses the Department of Homeland Security of placing Muslim Americans on the Terrorist Screening Database, the watch list of 'known or suspected terrorists' without due process and with scant evidence that the individuals have any connection whatsoever with criminal activity, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The lawsuit, filed by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) urges the government to do more diligence before placing individuals on watch lists, and to provide the individuals with an opportunity to clear their names.
"The federal government's placement of Muslims on a terror watch list without due process is a widespread practice that unfortunately affects many individuals in Texas," CAIR Legal Director Nikiya Natale said. She called the practice 'racial and ethnic profiling.
The lawsuit claims that people who find their names on the watch list not only lose their ability to fly on airplanes, they find themselves the subject of 'intrusive screenings' at airports and other check points, and have had applications for credit cards and bank loans denied.
"The database is nothing more than a list of innocent Muslim citizens who have not been arrested, charged, or convicted of a crime," CAIR said. "The extrajudicial use of this draconian and ineffective watch list is incompatible with the rule of law and American values."