Afghan Woman Deported From US in First Use of Secretive Terrorism Court
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: An Afghan woman has been deported from the United States in the first-ever removal carried out through a little-known federal terrorism court created three decades ago but never previously used, according to US officials and court records.
Nazira Haji Zada, 47, a lawful permanent resident of the United States, was deported to Afghanistan after agreeing to removal proceedings before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC). The tribunal was established by Congress in 1996 but had remained dormant until the Trump administration invoked it this year.
The US Justice Department accused Haji Zada of supporting Islamic State and alleged that she helped conceal an Islamic State-inspired plot to carry out a mass shooting on Election Day in November 2024. She was not criminally charged in connection with the alleged plot.
Two men connected to the case — her son and son-in-law — pleaded guilty in related criminal proceedings, according to Associated Press and Reuters reporting.
Haji Zada had been arrested at her home in Fort Worth, Texas, in July. Her case subsequently became the first brought before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court. During earlier proceedings, her attorney sought dismissal of the case and her immediate release, but those requests were denied.
The case attracted particular attention because of the unusual powers of the tribunal. Proceedings can involve classified evidence, prompting Haji Zada’s legal team to raise concerns over transparency and constitutional due-process protections.
Ultimately, Haji Zada agreed to be designated an “alien terrorist” under the relevant law, waived her right to challenge the determination and consented to deportation. The court subsequently approved her removal.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche described the outcome as a national-security success. Haji Zada’s attorney, however, has questioned the constitutionality of the process and argued that the court’s secretive procedures raise significant due-process concerns.
The case could have implications beyond Haji Zada’s deportation. The administration’s decision to activate a tribunal unused since its creation in 1996 introduces another mechanism for pursuing removals in cases where the US government alleges links to terrorism.
At the same time, legal challenges over the court’s procedures could determine how extensively the government is able to use the tribunal in future immigration and national-security cases.
