Terrorist Watchlist Survives Third Appeals Court Challenge

The Terrorist Screening Database withstood constitutional challenge Tuesday when the Fourth Circuit found that the program doesn’t violate the protected liberty interests of citizens and lawful permanent residents who were placed on it.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit joined the Sixth and Tenth circuits in upholding the TSDB, and reversed a September 2019 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The plaintiffs, 23 individuals who are in the TSDB, object to the delays and inconveniences they have experienced in airports and at the border. They alleged the TSDB program violates the ...