Green v. Transportation Security Administration

351 F. Supp. 2d 1119, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 552, 2005 WL 66905
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedJanuary 7, 2005
DocketC04-763Z
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 351 F. Supp. 2d 1119 (Green v. Transportation Security Administration) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Green v. Transportation Security Administration, 351 F. Supp. 2d 1119, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 552, 2005 WL 66905 (W.D. Wash. 2005).

Opinion

ORDER

ZILLY, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This matter comes before the Court on Defendants’ motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and Defendants’ motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, docket no. 15. The Court heard oral argument on these motions on November 4, 2004, and took the matter under advisement. The Court now, being fully advised, enters the following Order.

II. BACKGROUND

The Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”), an agency within the United States Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for security in all modes of transportation. Longmire Deck, docket 16, ¶ 3. As part of its statutory mandate with respect to aviation security, the TSA is required to provide for the screening for weapons, explosives, and oth: er destructive substances, of all passengers and property that will be carried on passenger aircraft. To further these purposes, the TSA has implemented regulations requiring each aircraft operator to adopt security programs. When the TSA determines that additional security measures (in addition to the security programs) are necessary, it issues “Security Directives” to regulated aircraft operators. Id. at ¶ 5. Compliance by air carriers with Security Directives and emergency amendments is mandatory.

TSA has established Security Directives relating to two groups of individuals who have been assessed to pose a risk to-aviation safety. The first group, identified on a “No-Fly List,” consists of individuals who are prohibited from flying altogether. The second group, identified on a “Selectee List,” consists of individuals who must be “selected” by air carriers for additional screening before they are permitted to fly. The Security Directives also prescribe the procedures to bep followed, and the specific security measures to be taken by air carriers, when individuals identified on the No-Fly or Selectee lists seek to board an aircraft. Id. at ¶ 7. In this Order, both the “No-Fly List” and the “Selectee List” are collectively referred to as the “No-Fly List.”

The Defendants distribute updated versions of the No-Fly List, as attachments to Security Directives and Emergency Amendments, to commercial airlines oper *1122 ating within the United States. The No-Fly List is also distributed to airport security personnel, customs and immigration agents, and other federal law-enforcement agencies. For security reasons, the TSA will not divulge the specific security measures followed by air carriers when they encounter an individual identified on the No-Fly List. Longmire Decl., docket 16, ¶ 9.

Plaintiffs commenced this action on behalf of themselves and other similarly situated individuals to challenge TSA’s adoption, maintenance, dissemination, administration, and management of both the No-Fly List and the Selectee List. 1

Plaintiffs allege they are innocent passengers with no links to terrorist activity, but have names similar or identical to names on the No-Fly List. Compl., docket no. 1, ¶ 3. Plaintiffs allege that when they travel by air, they are mistakenly identified by airport personnel, often'in full view of co-workers and the general traveling public, as individuals whose names actually appear on the No-Fly List. As a result, Plaintiffs allege that airline personnel subjected them to enhanced security screening, including physical pat-downs, wanding, and physical searches of luggage. Plaintiffs allege that they do not feel free to leave. To date, no named Plaintiff has missed a flight or been subjected to enhanced screening for more than one hour.

Plaintiffs allege that Defendants have failed to disclose basic questions such as the criteria for placing names on or removing names from the No-Fly List, procedures for amending information on the No-Fly List, or rules for maintaining or managing the No-Fly List.

The TSA has instituted an ombudsman process whereby individuals can contest their placement on the No-Fly List. Defendants have submitted documents which describe the clearance process administered by the Office of the Ombudsman. See Notice of Filing, docket no. 26, Ex. A. However, Plaintiffs allege that the ombudsman process is not publicized, and individuals who are mistakenly associated with the No-Fly List are told that there is no recourse.

Plaintiffs allege that Defendants’ actions in maintenance, management, and dissemination of the No-Fly list are unconstitutional. Plaintiffs specifically allege that the Defendants have “deprive[d] Plaintiffs of liberty and property interests protected by the Fifth Amendment” and have “subjected [Plaintiffs] to unreasonable searches and seizures in violation of the Fourth Amendment.” Compl., docket no. 1, pp. 26-2T. Plaintiffs seek declaratory judgment that the maintenance, management, and dissemination of the No-Fly List is unconstitutional, and seek to require Defendants to remedy, the due process and Fourth Amendment defects of the No-Fly List. Id. at p. 27.

Defendants have moved to dismiss Plaintiffs’ Complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Defendants contend that the Security Directives are final orders issued by the TSA, and that any action for judicial review must be filed with the Court of Appeals. In the alternative, Defendants have moved to dismiss Plaintiffs’ claims for failure to state a claim for which relief can be granted. See D. Mot. to Dismiss, docket no. 15.

*1123 By Minute Order dated October 29, 2004, docket no. 25, the Court ordered Defendants to submit for in camera and ex parte review the following:

(a) A copy of the applicable Security Directives;
(b) A copy of the ombudsman processes available for expunging innocent passengers’ names from the No-Fly List;
(c) A copy of the procedures used for processing Passenger Identity Verification Forms.

Pursuant to the Court’s Order, on November 2, 2004, Defendants submitted six Security Directives procedures, portions of the No-Fly List and Selectee List, the Applicable Policy Memorandum dated July 9, 2004 and April 22, 2003, and certain other materials. The Court has reviewed the Defendants’ submissions in camera and these documents have been filed under seal.

III. ANALYSIS OF JURISDICTIONAL ISSUES

(A) Special Review Statutes for Orders under the Federal Aviation Act.

Congress has enacted a special review statute for final orders of the Secretary of Transportation promulgated under the Federal Aviation Act. The applicable statute at issue, 49 U.S.C. § 46110(a), relating to judicial review, provides, in part, as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
351 F. Supp. 2d 1119, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 552, 2005 WL 66905, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/green-v-transportation-security-administration-wawd-2005.