An independent watchdog focused on civil liberties called on the federal government on Friday to tighten its use of a terrorism watch list, which can restrict people from traveling or entering the country and subject them to greater scrutiny at airports.
The call, made in a report by the bipartisan Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, came at a precarious time for the agency. Days ago, in a move that could kneecap the agency, the Trump administration instructed its three Democratic-selected members to submit resignation letters by the close of business on Jan. 23, threatening termination if they failed to comply.
As of midafternoon on Friday, when the agency issued its report, all three Democratic board members remained in their seats, according to an agency spokesman. The White House had not further contacted the agency about their fate, people familiar with the matter said.
Removing the three would leave only one board member at the agency who was selected by a Republican; the White House did not ask that member, Beth Williams, to resign; a fifth seat is vacant. The purge would paralyze the agency, which needs at least three members to take official actions like starting an investigative project or issuing a report with a policy recommendation.
The move would also have significant implications for trans-Atlantic business because the agency plays a key role in an agreement concerning data privacy. Under the deal, companies can send personal information about Europeans to the United States despite stricter laws in the European Union protecting consumer privacy.
The report was the culmination of a multiyear effort to scrutinize a clearinghouse of information maintained by the F.B.I. about people who have been deemed known or suspected terrorists. At present, the watch list contains records about roughly 1.1 million people, most of whom are foreigners; about 6,000 of them are Americans, the report said.
