Alien Terrorist Removal Court Deports Lawful U.S. Resident To Afghanistan In First Case
Nazira Haji Zada was deported to Afghanistan on August 25, 2026, after the Justice Department said she was the first person removed under the federal Alien Terrorist Removal Court.[1]
Court filings show a removal order was issued on August 20, 2026, after she conceded in court that she is an "alien terrorist" and waived rights to challenge detention or appeal.[2] She was arrested in Texas in July 2026 and appeared at the court's first hearing on July 30, 2026, before Judge Joan N. Ericksen.[3] The Justice Department said it pursued the civil tribunal to rely on classified evidence and a lower standard of proof instead of bringing criminal charges.[4] Defense lawyers say neither Haji Zada nor counsel were allowed to see classified evidence and that her consent should not be seen as an endorsement of the court's legitimacy.[2] Attorney General Todd Blanche called the case a "landmark" and a "win for national security and the rule of law." MS NOW
Prosecutors tied Haji Zada to a foiled ISIS-inspired Election Day 2024 mass-shooting plot, and an FBI summary alleged she pledged loyalty to ISIS and tried to indoctrinate her children.[2] Her son Abdullah was sentenced to 15 years, and family members have pleaded guilty or been convicted in related plots and face deportation after their prison terms.[4]
Early Justice Department statements and initial coverage framed the removal as a precedent-setting use of a long-dormant court for national security.[5] Later reporting highlighted that much of the court's evidence remains secret and amplified defense arguments that the process violated due process and may be struck down as unconstitutional.[4]
The August 20 removal order and related filings were unsealed after Haji Zada arrived in Afghanistan.[2] Justice Department officials say they will use all tools at their disposal, while defense lawyers say the case will be challenged as unconstitutional.[1]
Show source details & analysis (6 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- The Justice Department described the removal of Nazira Haji Zada as the first-ever completed case before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court since its creation in the 1990s, marking what DOJ framed as a precedent-setting action (Nazira Haji Zada).
- Nazira Haji Zada was arrested in Texas in July 2026, appeared at the Alien Terrorist Removal Court’s first hearing on July 30, 2026, had a removal order issued on August 20, 2026, and was deported to Afghanistan on August 25, 2026 (Alien Terrorist Removal Court’s first hearing on July 30, 2026).
- Prosecutors tied Haji Zada to a foiled ISIS‑inspired Election Day 2024 mass‑shooting plot and an unclassified FBI summary alleged she formally pledged loyalty to ISIS and worked to indoctrinate her children; her son and son‑in‑law have pleaded guilty or been convicted (her son Abdullah was sentenced to 15 years) and face deportation after serving prison terms (foiled ISIS‑inspired Election Day 2024 mass‑shooting plot).
- Court filings and DOJ statements say Haji Zada conceded in court that she is an 'alien terrorist,' waived her rights to challenge detention and appeal, and that concession prompted Judge Joan N. Ericksen to cancel an August 27, 2026 hearing and proceed with removal (conceded in court that she is an 'alien terrorist').
- Defense attorneys say neither Haji Zada nor her counsel were permitted to review classified evidence and that her consent should not be seen as an endorsement of the court's legitimacy, while DOJ maintains the Alien Terrorist Removal Court statutes 'satisfy due process' and that Haji Zada received voluminous unclassified discovery (classified evidence).
- DOJ leaders chose to pursue civil removal in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court instead of filing criminal charges explicitly to rely on a lower standard of proof and to use classified evidence in the case (lower standard of proof).
- Haji Zada was a lawful permanent resident who arrived in the United States in 2018, and reporting notes that her husband worked at Bagram Air Base from 2009 to 2016 (lawful permanent resident).
- Attorney General Todd Blanche called the case a 'landmark' and 'a win for national security and the rule of law,' saying DOJ will 'use every tool at its disposal' in pursuing such cases (Attorney General Todd Blanche).
📰 Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
September 12, 2026
6:29 PM
Alien Terrorist Removal Court deports legal US resident to Afghanistan in first-ever case
New information:
- The NPR piece confirms that Nazira Haji Zada was a lawful permanent resident who came to the U.S. in 2018, and that her husband worked at Bagram Air Base from 2009 to 2016.
- It details that DOJ leaders chose to proceed in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court instead of filing criminal charges, explicitly to use a lower standard of proof and classified evidence.
- Unsealed filings dated August 20, 2026 show Haji Zada waived her rights to challenge detention and agreed to deportation that day; Judge Joan Ericksen ordered removal the same day.
- Haji Zada’s court-appointed attorneys say they were not permitted to review any of the evidence, which remains classified, and call the process a plain due process violation.
- Defense lawyers issued a statement saying her consent to deportation "should not be seen as an endorsement of this court's legitimacy" and predict the court will be struck down as unconstitutional when challenged.
- The article provides narrative allegations that Haji Zada allegedly pledged loyalty to ISIS, worked to indoctrinate children, helped fundraise for an ISIS-inspired Election Day 2024 mass shooting, and planned to move with family members to an ISIS-controlled area after selling the family home.
- It notes that both her son and son-in-law have already been prosecuted, sentenced (e.g., her son Abdullah to 15 years), and will be deported after their prison terms, while her own case was kept in the civil removal court.
September 11, 2026
6:46 PM
Trump administration secures deportation of first subject of Alien Terrorist Removal Court
New information:
- The MS NOW piece confirms that court documents unsealed Friday, September 11, 2026, show the Alien Terrorist Removal Court issued its removal order for Nazira Haji Zada on August 20, 2026, and that she was deported to Afghanistan on August 25, 2026.
- The article reports Attorney General Todd Blanche's quoted statement calling the case a 'landmark' and 'a win for national security and the rule of law' and framing it as proof DOJ will 'use every tool at its disposal.'
- It specifies that Haji Zada conceded in court that she is an 'alien terrorist,' waived her right to appeal the removal order, and that this agreement led Judge Joan N. Ericksen to cancel a planned August 27, 2026 hearing.
- The story provides an unclassified FBI summary alleging Haji Zada 'formally pledged her loyalty to ISIS' and 'worked to indoctrinate her children with ISIS ideology.'
- MS NOW details defense due-process objections, including that neither Haji Zada nor her counsel (even one with a clearance) were allowed to see the classified evidence, and quotes DOJ's response that the ATRC statutes 'satisfy due process' and that she received 'voluminous unclassified discovery.'
- It reiterates that prosecutors alleged she helped her son and son-in-law plot a 2024 Election Day ISIS-inspired mass shooting and notes both men have already pleaded guilty, been sentenced, and will be deported after serving prison terms.
6:42 PM
Afghan woman whose case was the first for a long-dormant court has been deported, officials say
New information:
- On Friday, September 11, 2026, the Justice Department said Nazira Haji Zada had waived her rights to challenge her detention and agreed to be deported to Afghanistan.
- The article confirms that Haji Zada was deported only after the Aug. 20, 2026 removal order and related court filings were unsealed following her arrival in Afghanistan.
- Defense attorneys said her consent to removal "should not be seen as an endorsement of this court's legitimacy" and argued that using secret evidence against lawful permanent residents violates due process.
- The piece specifies that Judge Joan Ericksen presided over the Alien Terrorist Removal Court’s first hearing in the case on July 30, 2026.
- An FBI memo dated July 15, 2026 stated the bureau had "developed information" that Haji Zada is an Islamic State supporter who had her children pledge loyalty to the group, and notes that her son Abdullah and son-in-law Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi were previously convicted or pleaded guilty in related ISIS‑support plots.
5:14 PM
Afghan woman deported in first-ever "Alien Terrorist" court case, DOJ says
New information:
- Axios reports that the Justice Department is describing Nazira Haji Zada’s removal as the first-ever completed case before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court since its creation in the 1990s.
- The article reiterates that DOJ publicly calls her an "alien terrorist" based on her concession in court and ties the deportation to the Election Day 2024 ISIS-inspired mass-shooting plot allegations.
- Axios frames the case as a potential precedent for future uses of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court against noncitizens suspected of terrorism based on classified evidence.
4:48 PM
Afghan Woman Deported in First Use of Obscure Terrorism Court
New information:
- The New York Times confirms that Nazira Haji Zada, 47, was arrested in Texas in July 2026 and brought before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court in Washington.
- The article details that prosecutors alleged she was connected to a foiled ISIS-inspired Election Day 2024 mass‑shooting plot and sought her expulsion on that basis.
- It reports that Haji Zada's lawyers initially challenged the Alien Terrorist Removal Court as unconstitutional because it relies heavily on classified evidence and limits challenges to how evidence is collected.
- The piece reiterates that by the time of the Justice Department's September 11, 2026 statement, Haji Zada had conceded she is an 'alien terrorist' and waived her challenge, leading to her deportation.
- The Times characterizes the case as the first 'successful use' of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court since Congress created it roughly 30 years ago and notes much of the court's evidence is presented in secret.