The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Tuesday in favor of a Muslim man who said he had been put on the no-fly list in retaliation for refusing to become a government informant. The court rejected the government’s contention that removing the man from the list had rendered his case moot.
The no-fly list, which rapidly expanded after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, appears to include tens of thousands of people. The criteria for inclusion on the list are opaque, making it subject to errors and abuse.
Yonas Fikre, an American citizen, challenged his placement on the list, saying it had violated due process and amounted to discrimination based on race, national origin and religion.
The legal proceedings are at an early stage, and Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, writing for the court, said it was required to assume that the following version of events, set out in the lawsuit, was true.
