Is the Foreign Terrorist Organizations list what airlines (and soon ships) check passenger names against? No, they check against the Terrorist Screening Center’s Terrorist Watchlist — which would include members of FTOs. What are the “No-Fly” and “Selectee” lists? Are they different? No, they are pieces of the Terrorist Watchlist. People on the “No-Fly” list are not to be allowed to fly. “Selectees” are to receive additional screening.

 

The courts lately have been seeing many, many cases involving “name checks” for people applying for citizenship or lawful permanent resident status. Is the name check the same thing? Not really. The FBI name check includes a check of the person’s fingerprints and criminal record, as well as a database that may overlap the Terrorist Watchlist, but the idea is to see whether the person is of good enough character. In other words, more than associations with terrorism is involved. How about the Terrorist Exclusion List? That also is different.