The Justice Department has filed the first petition in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court since its establishment in 1996, seeking the deportation of Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan woman from Fort Worth, Texas. According to court records, Haji Zada was arrested earlier this week and faces a hearing on deportation allegations before the specialized court in Washington.
An FBI memo dated July 15 indicates that Haji Zada is suspected of being an Islamic State supporter who allegedly encouraged her children to pledge loyalty to the terrorist group. She is also accused of providing support to relatives involved in what authorities describe as an ISIS-inspired attack plot. Court filings connect her to two Afghan men convicted in connection with activities related to the 2024 Election Day, one of whom is her son and the other her son-in-law.
The son, Abdullah Haji Zada, received a 15-year prison sentence last November for his role in the plot and has agreed to deportation following his release. The son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, previously worked as a security guard at an American military installation in Afghanistan. Tawhedi pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, and prosecutors noted he took steps toward carrying out an attack, including ordering firearms, liquidating family assets, and purchasing one-way plane tickets.
The Alien Terrorist Removal Court operates under provisions allowing the Justice Department to conduct deportation proceedings for individuals classified as “alien terrorists.” The court is composed of five federal judges appointed by the Supreme Court’s chief justice. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the case as demonstrating that “terrorists have no place in the United States of America.”
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