The Trump administration is pursuing the use of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court for the first time since its establishment 30 years ago, aiming to deport Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan woman accused of supporting an Islamic State-inspired terror plot in the United States. Court records indicate that Haji Zada, a resident of Fort Worth, Texas, was arrested earlier this week and is the first individual to face deportation through this court. An initial hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Washington, D.C.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the case involves a family with ties to ISIS and aims to prevent terrorists from residing in the U.S. An FBI memo from July 15 revealed that Haji Zada allegedly supported her children in pledging loyalty to the Islamic State and aided in a plot by family members to carry out an attack on Election Day.
Haji Zada is the mother and mother-in-law of two Afghan men convicted in relation to a 2024 Election Day terror plot. Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and agreed to be deported upon release. Her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and attempted support for the Islamic State, reportedly making preparations for an attack.
The Alien Terrorist Removal Court, created in 1996, has not received any petitions until now, when the Justice Department filed an application for Haji Zada's deportation. This court is designated to handle cases involving noncitizens alleged to be "alien terrorists" when classified evidence is involved. The court consists of five federal judges appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, with all proceedings currently taking place at the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse in Washington.