The U.S. Department of Justice has deported a 47-year-old Afghan national and lawful permanent resident in the first-ever case brought before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a specialized federal tribunal established 30 years ago that had remained entirely unused until now.
Nazira Haji Zada, who had been living in Fort Worth, Texas, was deported to Afghanistan after the federal government initiated removal proceedings against her, the Department of Justice announced on Friday. Accused by federal authorities of supporting the ISIL (ISIS) armed group, Haji Zada had been arrested in 2024.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche filed the formal papers for her removal on July 15, 2026. Haji Zada was never charged with a criminal offense, though her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, previously pleaded guilty to related charges.
Established by Congress in 1996 as part of a broader expansion of federal counterterrorism authorities, the Alien Terrorist Removal Court comprises five federal judges serving staggered five-year terms. The legal mechanism allows the government to submit classified evidence behind closed doors if officials argue disclosure would threaten national security. To proceed, the government must present strong evidence classifying the individual as an “alien terrorist,” while providing the accused with an unclassified summary that the court deems sufficient to prepare a defense.
Haji Zada ultimately waived her rights to contest her detention and consented to her deportation. However, her defense team stated that her decision to agree to removal should not be construed as an endorsement of the court’s legality. Defense attorneys argued that subjecting lawful permanent residents to judicial proceedings while withholding the underlying evidence against them constitutes a direct violation of constitutional due process rights, predicting that federal courts will eventually strike down the tribunal as unconstitutional.
In response to the deportation, Attorney General Blanche defended the operation, stating that individuals who support terrorism should not reside in the United States and emphasizing that the Department of Justice intends to employ every legal mechanism available to national security agencies.
Whether the Department of Justice plans to initiate further cases using the long-dormant court remains uncertain.
Sources
– [Al Jazeera News](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/12/afghan-woman-deported-in-first-use-of-us-alien-terrorist-removal-court?traffic_source=rss)
Source: Al Jazeera News
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Story synopsis gathered from: Al Jazeera News — source
