WASHINGTON — The week after Republican Sen. Rand Paul conducted a lengthy filibuster to rail against President Obama’s policy on targeted drone strikes, Rep. Keith Ellison and members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are asking for more information on the matter.

Ellison and a group of seven other Democrats wrote to President Obama on Monday asking the White House to declassify its legal justification for using drones, especially when it comes to targeting American citizens. NBC News got a partial copy of such a policy last month, and the White House briefed the Senate Intelligence Committee on the policy while it considered John Brennan’s nomination for CIA director, but the full justification has not been made public.

“The executive branch’s claim of authority to deprive citizens of life, and to do so without explaining the legal bases [sic] for doing so, sets a dangerous precedent and is a model of behavior that the United States would not want other nations to emulate,” the group wrote.

Sen. Al Franken signed a similar letter in February. Asked last week about the administration’s response, Franken said, “Obviously you have to protect certain operational details in these things, so they may be heavily redacted. But that’s ok, that’s fine. I’ve talked to Attorney General [Eric] Holder on that and I think we’re making progress.”

Paul’s filibuster last week revolved around possible drone strikes on American citizens in the United States. In response, Holder wrote him a two-sentence letter to say such strikes would not be legal under the administration’s current policy. Paul accepted the response and eventually voted to end debate on Brennan’s nomination, which was the subject of his filibuster.

Ellison has been skeptical of Obama’s drone policy for some time, penning a Washington Post op-ed calling on Congress to write new rules for using drones.

Devin Henry can be reached at dhenry@minnpost.com.