US Justice Department activates dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court

The Justice Department, under the Trump administration, filed the first petition to use the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), a secretive court created by Congress in 1996 that had never heard a case. The court is designed to handle deportation hearings for non‑citizens alleged to be terrorist threats, allowing the government to rely on classified evidence that the individual cannot see.

Judge Joan Ericksen, chief of the five‑member panel, held a hearing and asked the government for additional information about the nexus between the alleged actions and the statutory provisions invoked. The identity of the individual subject to removal was not disclosed. Legal experts noted that the court’s procedures raise serious due‑process concerns, with Aram Gavoor of the DOJ remarking, “This is essentially stepping into a car that has never run since it was released from the factory legislatively.” The activation of the ATRC has prompted debate over its constitutionality and the broader implications for immigration enforcement.

The move marks a significant shift in U.S. deportation policy, introducing a mechanism that limits the ability of alleged alien terrorists to challenge their removal and keeps much of the evidence secret, potentially impacting the rights of affected non‑citizens.