Nazira Haji Zada faces first deportation hearing in dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court

Nazira Haji Zada Alien Terrorist Removal Court deportation ISIS plot U.S. Justice Department

The U.S. Justice Department has filed a petition to deport Afghan national Nazira Haji Zada, a resident of Fort Worth, Texas, using the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC). The ATRC was created by Congress in 1996 to remove non‑citizens classified as "alien terrorists," but it has never received a petition until this case. A hearing is set for Thursday in Washington, D.C., with five federal district judges—including Chief Judge Joan Ericksen—presiding.

Nazira Haji Zada is identified as the mother and mother‑in‑law of Abdullah Haji Zada and Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, both convicted in Oklahoma for an Islamic State‑inspired plot targeting the 2024 U.S. election. While she has no criminal record, an FBI memo says she "supported" the plot, indoctrinated her children with ISIS ideology, and pledged loyalty to the group. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Congress created the court to remove alien terrorists who should never have been in the United States.

The filing marks the first use of the long‑dormant court and raises questions about its constitutionality and the precedent it may set for future national‑security deportations.

Entities: Abdullah Haji Zada · Alien Terrorist Removal Court · Joan Ericksen · Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi · Nazira Haji Zada · Todd Blanche

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 4 SOURCES] Nazira Haji Zada is the mother and mother‑in‑law of Abdullah Haji Zada and Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, who were convicted for the 2024 Election Day terrorist plot. (a7658ed4-6ab1-41e6-a0b8-265ea8705b5d, e82a2f67-ee52-4078-8f45-67ee6ae52c1e)
[● 4 SOURCES] Abdullah Haji Zada was sentenced to 15 years in prison last November and agreed to be removed from the United States after his release. (a7658ed4-6ab1-41e6-a0b8-265ea8705b5d)
[● 4 SOURCES] A hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Washington, D.C. on the government's petition to deport Nazira Haji Zada. (a7658ed4-6ab1-41e6-a0b8-265ea8705b5d)
[● 4 SOURCES] The Alien Terrorist Removal Court was established in 1996 and had never received a petition until this month. (a7658ed4-6ab1-41e6-a0b8-265ea8705b5d)
[● 4 SOURCES] Nazira Haji Zada is accused of supporting an Islamic State‑inspired plot in the United States. (a7658ed4-6ab1-41e6-a0b8-265ea8705b5d)
[● 4 SOURCES] Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to remove alien terrorists who should never have been in the United States. (a7658ed4-6ab1-41e6-a0b8-265ea8705b5d)
[● 4 SOURCES] Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State, ordering AK‑47 rifles, liquidating family assets and buying one‑way tickets for his wife and child. (a7658ed4-6ab1-41e6-a0b8-265ea8705b5d, e82a2f67-ee52-4078-8f45-67ee6ae52c1e)
[● 4 SOURCES] Nazira Haji Zada is the first person facing deportation through the Alien Terrorist Removal Court. (a7658ed4-6ab1-41e6-a0b8-265ea8705b5d)