Fate of US citizen with ties to IS in hands of judge

WASHINGTON — A federal judge is weighing the fate of a U.S. citizen who has been accused of working with Islamic State militants in Syria, but never charged.

The U.S. military has held the unidentified citizen in Iraq since he surrendered on the Syrian battlefield about seven months ago.

The Trump administration wants to transfer him to a third country — presumably Saudi Arabia where he has dual citizenship.

But the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents him, wants the judge to block the transfer, saying the government hasn’t proved that he was legally detained in the first place.

The court ordered the government to give 72 hours’ advance notice of its intent to transfer him.

The ACLU wants the transfer blocked before the 72 hours expires at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday.