Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Mark Sherman

The 'state secrets privilege' sounds mysterious. Here's what it is and how it works

El Salvador Deportees - (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Trump administration is invoking a powerful tool in seeking to cut off a judge's inquiry into whether it defied his order to turn around planes carrying Venezuelan migrants who were being deported from the United States.

The Justice Department said in court papers Monday that it was invoking the “state secrets privilege” in refusing to provide details demanded by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg about flights that carried the migrants to El Salvador earlier this month.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.