Justice Department opens 1996 secret court for 1st deportation case

The Trump administration has opened a little-used national security deportation process for the first time, asking the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to expel an unidentified person from the United States. The Justice Department filed the petition Wednesday, marking the first case ever brought to the court since Congress created it in 1996. Chief Judge Joan Ericksen held a hearing Thursday and then ordered the department to submit more information by Wednesday. In a written response, Ericksen said the court had questions about the alleged connection between the respondent's actions and the legal provisions the government cited. The five-judge court was created under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act and is appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts.