Secret FISA Court Ruling on US Spy Powers Hidden by Trump Administration, Senators Say

Two US senators are accusing the Trump administration of illegally withholding a secret court ruling about how the government spies on Americans, even as it pushes Congress to renew the nation’s most sweeping surveillance program. The lawmakers say the decision by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) is being kept from the public and from Congress, undermining oversight of the program known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The program, which expires at the end of the year, allows intelligence agencies to collect communications of foreigners overseas without a warrant, but it also sweeps in the communications of Americans who are in contact with those targets. The senators argue that the hidden ruling could reveal significant constitutional or statutory problems with how the government has interpreted its authority, and that lawmakers need to see it before voting on reauthorization. The dispute comes amid broader debate over surveillance reform, with privacy advocates warning that Section 702 has been used to search for Americans’ data without a warrant. The administration has not commented on the senators’ claims, but the standoff raises fresh questions about transparency and the balance between national security and civil liberties. As the expiration date approaches, the fight over the secret ruling could become a flashpoint in the reauthorization battle, with potential implications for the future of US surveillance law.