As Yonas Fikre’s ordeal illustrates, the watchlist system as currently constituted is ripe for abuse and discrimination. Until Congress exercises its authority to regulate or end this Orwellian system, the judiciary must act as a check on executive overreach. Only then can we be assured that the liberties of all Americans – regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or political persuasion – are being adequately safeguarded.
Gadeir Abbas is the Senior Litigation Attorney at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Zara White is a communications intern at CAIR and a student at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service pursuing a degree in International Affairs with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa.