Justice department secures deportation order in first of its kind case brought in secretive court

On 6 October 2026, the United States Department of Justice successfully obtained a deportation order through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), marking the first time the secretive tribunal has been utilized for such a purpose. The case involved an individual identified as a national security threat whose activities were monitored under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Traditionally, the FISC handles warrants for electronic surveillance and physical searches related to foreign intelligence gathering. However, this unprecedented legal maneuver signals a shift in how the government leverages specialized judicial venues to expedite the removal of non-citizens deemed to pose risks to domestic stability. Legal experts note that the proceedings were conducted entirely under seal, raising significant questions regarding due process and the transparency of immigration enforcement. While the Justice Department maintains that the move was necessary to protect classified intelligence sources and methods, civil liberties advocates have expressed concern over the expansion of the court's jurisdiction into immigration law, fearing it may set a precedent for bypassing standard federal court oversight in future deportation cases.