The actual size of the list and who is on it is not public information, but we have estimates: In 2011, an FBI fact sheet said there were 420,000 people on the list. Current estimates have put the list at around 700,000. Since the database pulls information from U.S. and global agencies, only a relative handful — about 8,400 in 2011 and likely around 10,000 now — are American citizens or legal residents.

The secret list bullshit will never fly. If you can't maintain a list in the open with clear methods and qualifications for entry and removal it's all just another step into the security state.