A secretive U.S. court created 30 years ago to deport suspected terrorists convened for the first time on Thursday, opening a new front in the Trump administration's effort to remove non-citizens accused of national security threats and expand the president's immigration agenda.

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court was created by Congress in 1996 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Before now, it had never been used.

Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court in 1996 to make it easier for the Justice Department to use classified evidence to deport people from U.S. soil.