Bush-Ashcroft vs. Homeland Security

Clean Air Act Polluted by the Justice Department

Comments (0) By Nat Hentoff Tuesday, Apr 22 2003

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There is no guarantee, says the ACLU, that a yellow code in a person's file would not be shared with "other government agencies at the federal, state, and local level, with intelligence agencies such as the CIA, and with foreign governments and international agencies—all of which could use those designations for many purposes, including employment decisions and the granting of government benefits."

If you were so designated, there is no procedure by which you'd be able to see what alleged information put you on the list. The government, says the ACLU, will not reveal the criteria for selection, or how—at the airport—you can challenge your being under suspicion.

As the ACLU's Barry Steinhardt points out: "CAPPS II won't be limited to air transportation for very long. Nothing like it has ever been done in this country." (Emphasis added.)

Agreeing with the ACLU's alarm are the Christian Coalition, Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, the American Conservative Union, and People for the American Way. Where's the horde of Democrats running for the presidency?