Trump administration files Alien Terrorist Removal case

The Trump administration has activated a long-dormant judicial body for the first time, filing a petition to deport an individual it has designated as an alien terrorist. The Justice Department submitted its application to the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a secretive panel established in 1996 that had never before received a case.

The application was filed on July 15, according to court records. The identity of the individual targeted for removal is not public, as the filing is sealed and marked as containing classified information. Following a closed hearing on July 16, the court's chief judge, U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen, ordered the Justice Department to provide more information. In a written order, Ericksen stated the court had questions about the government's allegations and how the respondent's conduct fit the specific legal criteria for removal. She directed the department to submit a revised application by July 22, writing that the government could benefit from the opportunity for more thoughtful consideration.

The court was created by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, a law passed in response to the Oklahoma City bombing. It authorizes...