Newly-released documents are shedding light on the terrorist watch list that is kept by the federal government.
The documents, which were released by the FBI in response to a Freedom of Information Act request that was made by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, show that people can remain on the terrorist watch list even after they have been found not guilty of terrorism-related crimes, or if terrorism-related charges against them have been dropped.
One of the documents that was released, a guidance memorandum that was sent to FBI field offices last December, shows that someone can remain on the terrorist watch list after being acquitted of terrorism charges if FBI agents still have a "reasonable suspicion" that the individual still may have ties to terrorism.
In addition, the names of people who are no longer the subject of an active terrorism investigation but are still thought to be a national security risk are kept in a special file maintained by the FBI.
The practice of keeping former terrorism suspects on the nation's terrorist watch list has been criticized by Electronic Privacy Information Center counsel Ginger McCall, who said that it violates the principle of being innocent until proven guilty.
However, the practice has been defended by former Homeland Security official Stewart Baker, who noted that it could still be appropriate to keep someone on a terrorist watch list even if information about the person's possible ties to terrorism did not meet the courtroom standard of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.