US deports Afghan woman in first-ever case before special terrorism court

SEPTEMBER 13, 2026 20:29In a first, the US Department of Justice brought a case before a previously unused special court and deported an Afghan woman legally residing in the US after she conceded to being an “alien terrorist,” according to court records.Prosecutors in the DOJ alleged that Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old mother originally from Afghanistan, supported a plan by her son and son-in-law to commit an ISIS-style mass shooting on America's Election Day in 2024.Both Haji Zada’s son and son-in-law were charged in the plot and will be deported following their release from prison.Haji Zada was arrested in July at her home in Fort Worth, Texas. She was tried in the never-before-used Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), which Congress created in 1996.The court’s initial purpose was to make it easier for the DOJ to use classified evidence during prosecutions that posed a risk to national security, according to an analysis by NPR.U.S. Attorney General Blanche holds press conference in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, 12th August 2026, 20:14 (credit: REUTERS/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN)Afghani woman's deportation not an 'endorsement of this court's legitimacy' Court records dated August 20 state that Haji Zada waived her right to challenge the detention and agreed to the deportation order; the presiding judge ordered her removal the same day.Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, “This landmark case, resulting in the prompt removal of this alien terrorist to her country of origin, is a win for national security and the rule of law. Those who support and condone terrorism should not be living in the United States, and this first-ever case before the ATRC shows how the Department will use every tool at its disposal to protect our country.”Haji Zada’s public defenders contested the legality of the case, arguing they were not permitted to review the evidence because it remained classified.A statement from the DOJ noted that Haji Zada and her lawyers were provided with almost half a terabyte of evidence supporting the government’s case against her.Haji Zada’s lawyers stated that their client’s consent to the deportation order “should not be seen as an endorsement of this court’s legitimacy.”“Dragging lawful permanent residents into court but refusing to show them or their attorneys the evidence that will be used against them is a plain violation of due process,” they said.“We are confident that the Alien Terrorist Removal Court will be struck down as unconstitutional as soon as a judge is asked to address the issue.”The DOJ statement on the case alleged that Haji Zada worked to “radicalize” her family and “formally pledged loyalty to ISIS.”Assistant Attorney-General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said: "Zada supported her sons’ terrorist plot to attack the United States while she enjoyed the privilege of residing here as a resident alien.”Follow us on Google