Trump Wants More Deportations. Now The Administration Is Turning To A Secret Court: Report

The Trump administration is trying to use a secret court to target foreign nationals for deportations, according to a new report.

Politico detailed that the Justice Department recently began the process to use the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, which was established in 1996 but had never been used.

The outlet noted that use of the court appears to be another sign that the administration is seeking to find as many legal avenues as possible to pursue deportations of foreign nationals. The first-ever application to the court was submitted earlier this month.

The chief judge of the court, U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen, responded to the application with an order stating the government should supplement it with more information.

"The court had questions about the nexus that the government alleges between the actions of the respondent and the specific sections and subsections it invokes with respect to those actions," the order states. "The answers persuaded the court that the government could benefit from the opportunity for more thoughtful consideration."

According to the Federal Judiciary Center, "A single judge may grant the application upon a finding that the alien in question has been identified correctly as an alien terrorist present in the United States."

The court was described as part of a "broad legislative effort to combat international terrorism."

As part of the process it operates outside of the public eye under seal, in part to protect potentially classified information regarding national security. As part of the court's process, the government provides a summary of unclassified information which a "judge must find to be sufficient for the alien to prepare a defense. If the government meets its burden of proof at the hearing, the court will order the alien removed from the United States."

Politico noted that the Alien Terrorist Removal Court came up last year in a case where the government attempted to expedite the deportation of 100 Venezuelans by saying they were members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg cited the Alien Terrorist Removal Court as a means to handle such cases. "In fact, Congress has an answer for us, doesn't it? Because they created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court," he said. "You can always go to the ATRC, which would be a first, but that's what it's there for, right?"