Trump Administration Activates Long-Dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court for First Time

The Trump administration has put into operation a specialized federal court that sat unused for three decades, filing the first case before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court in an effort to deport a noncitizen alleged to have ties to terrorism.

The Justice Department submitted an application to the court earlier this month, marking the first time the tribunal has received a petition since Congress created it in 1996 as part of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act. The court was designed to handle removal proceedings against individuals classified as “alien terrorists” or their immediate family members in cases involving sensitive or classified national security information that could not be fully aired in ordinary immigration court. Until now, successive administrations relied on standard removal proceedings and other authorities rather than testing the specialized forum.

According to reporting on the proceedings, the initial application and much of the substance remain sealed and classified. Chief Judge Joan Ericksen, a federal district judge designated to the court, held a hearing and directed the government to refine its filing, citing questions about the connection between the alleged actions and the specific statutory provisions invoked. An updated submission followed. Subsequent coverage identified the target as an Afghan woman who is a legal permanent resident and is accused of knowledge of or contribution to plans by family members to support the Islamic State, including a plot aimed at Election Day 2024 that was disrupted. The woman has challenged the court’s procedures on constitutional grounds.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche framed the activation as fulfillment of Congress’s intent. He stated that the court was established to remove alien terrorists who should not remain in the United States and that the case underscores the principle that terrorists and those who aid them have no place here. The Department of Justice has said it intends to use every available legal tool to remove individuals linked to terrorism.

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court consists of five federal district judges designated by the Chief Justice of the United States, drawn from different circuits and serving renewable terms. Its procedures allow the government to present classified evidence under protective measures that limit disclosure to the respondent and the public, a feature that has long raised due-process questions and helps explain why prior administrations declined to bring cases. Legal observers have noted that the first use is likely to generate significant litigation testing the court’s constitutionality and the adequacy of its safeguards.

The move fits within a broader administration effort to expand and accelerate immigration enforcement tools, including other authorities aimed at individuals deemed national security risks. Because the proceedings are largely sealed, public details remain limited, and the ultimate outcome of the first case will depend on further judicial review. The activation itself, however, ends a 30-year period in which the court existed on paper but never adjudicated a single matter.