The Justice Department is pursuing the deportation of Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old Afghan woman living in Fort Worth, Texas, in the first-ever case before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC). Established by Congress in 1996 to expedite the removal of noncitizens suspected of terrorism, the court has never convened until this proceeding on Thursday, July 30, 2026.

Zada is accused of supporting a foiled Islamic State-inspired plot to carry out a mass shooting targeting American voters on Election Day in 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."

Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, pleaded guilty last year in a federal court in Oklahoma to purchasing AK-47-style rifles and ammunition from an undercover FBI agent as part of the alleged plot. Zada herself has not been publicly charged with any terrorism crimes and has no known criminal history.

The hearing was presided over by Chief Judge Joan Ericksen of the ATRC at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. Ericksen pressed the government to provide more details about the evidence against Zada after initial claims were vague and largely classified. Zada's attorney expressed concerns over the limited unclassified information available, which mostly reiterated public details from her son's case.

According to court filings, Zada's husband was employed at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2016 and obtained a green card through a U.S. program for Afghans who assisted American forces.

Zada's legal counsel argued that the ATRC process violates due process rights, describing it as "a runaround to bringing a criminal case" due to its lower evidentiary standard. The judge denied a request for Zada's immediate release, with further detention hearings expected.

The Justice Department confirmed it will utilize all available tools, including the ATRC, to remove alien terrorists from the United States.

Sources