Trump Administration Invokes Rarely Used Terror Court to Deport Afghan Woman Linked to Election Day Plot

The Trump administration has turned to a specialized federal court dormant for three decades in its effort to remove an Afghan woman from the country. Nazira Haji Zada of Fort Worth, Texas, faces deportation proceedings through the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, marking the first use of the tribunal since Congress established it in 1996. An initial hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Washington, D.C.

Haji Zada stands accused of supporting an Islamic State-inspired plot involving her family members to attack American voters during the 2024 election. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized her as the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family who aided in planning a mass casualty attack. According to an FBI memo dated July 15, authorities determined that Haji Zada backs the Islamic State and encouraged her children to pledge allegiance to the group.

Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, received a 15-year prison sentence in November for his role in the Election Day terror plot and agreed to deportation upon release. Her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State after attempting to purchase weapons and arrange travel for his family back to Afghanistan. Tawhedi previously worked as a security guard at a U.S. military installation in Afghanistan.

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court hears government applications to remove noncitizens classified as “alien terrorists” under federal immigration law when classified information supports the removal case. Five federal judges from various districts, appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, comprise the tribunal. All proceedings will occur at the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse in Washington.