The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), today called on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to drop the secret “Quiet Skies” passenger tracking program that the Muslim civil rights organization says may single out law-abiding Muslim travelers for official harassment.
Under that program, which was revealed by the Boston Globe and has been in existence in some form since 2010, teams of federal air marshals track American citizens not suspected of a crime and not under investigation or on a watch list. According to the Globe, the teams “document whether passengers fidget, use a computer, have a ‘jump’ in their Adam’s apple or a ‘cold penetrating stare,’ among other behaviors.”
All American citizens who enter the country are automatically screened for inclusion in the surveillance program. Dozens of air marshals have expressed concerns about the program.
