For years, those concerned with fairness and justice in our government’s operations have advocated for greater transparency about federal watchlisting practices. This summer the public learned details about the official watchlisting guidance, which confirmed that the current system labels thousands of people, including American citizens, as suspected terrorists based on loose, exception-ridden standards and secret evidence, inevitably ensnaring innocent persons without offering them a meaningful process to challenge errors and clear their names. A bloated and unfair watchlist system does not make us more secure. Rather, it stigmatizes individuals and communities, erodes our privacy, and undermines cherished constitutional rights.

Read the entire letter here.