The U.S. Department of Justice initiated the first-ever civil case before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a decades-old tribunal that had remained unused until now. Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old lawful permanent resident originally from Afghanistan, was ordered removed from the United States after consenting to deportation proceedings in late August. She had been arrested in July at her home in Fort Worth, Texas.
Prosecutors alleged that Haji Zada, as the family matriarch, supported a scheme by her son and son-in-law to execute an Islamic State-inspired mass shooting scheduled for Election Day in 2024. Court documents indicate she worked to radicalize family members, formally pledged loyalty to ISIS, and assisted in indoctrinating her children with the group’s ideology. The government also claimed she and other family members raised funds for the alleged attack by selling household items and vehicles, and signed a contract to sell the family home to finance the plot.
Haji Zada’s son, Abdullah Haji Zada, received a 15-year prison sentence, while her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges after admitting to conspiring to purchase firearms and ammunition for the planned attack. According to court records, Tawhedi communicated with an ISIS facilitator regarding the acquisition of two AK-47 rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition between June and October 2024.
The Alien Terrorist Removal Court, established by Congress in 1996, permits the government to employ a lower evidentiary standard and use classified evidence deemed a national security risk. Haji Zada’s court-appointed attorneys challenged the constitutional validity of the proceedings, noting they were unable to review the classified evidence used against their client. They stated that the case should not validate the court’s legitimacy and pledged to pursue constitutional challenges against the tribunal.
Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the deportation as a significant national security victory and indicated the administration intends to utilize all available legal mechanisms to protect the country.
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