Trump’s DOJ turns to a court that hasn’t been used in 30 years to deport a woman
Trump’s DOJ turns to a court that hasn’t been used in 30 years to deport a woman
Bruce GoldingThu, July 30, 2026 at 10:58 PM UTC
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, right, says Nazira Haji Zada is ‘the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family’ (Getty)
An obscure federal court created 30 years ago held its first hearing on Thursday after the Justice Department turned to it to deport an Afghan woman accused of supporting a 2024 ISIS-inspired terror plot.
Nazira Haji Zada, 47, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., appeared in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court in Washington after being arrested at her home in Fort Worth, Texas, earlier this week.
Congress created the court in 1996 to consider applications by the government to deport people accused of being "alien terrorists" under immigration law, but it never received one until this month, according to an FAQ posted on the court's website.
Prosecutors filed the case against Zada after her son and son-in-law both pleaded guilty in Oklahoma last year to terrorism-related charges for planning to carry out a mass shooting on Election Day 2024.
"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," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement on Thursday. "The Department’s application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America.”
The case marks the latest wrinkle in the government’s efforts to carry out what President Donald Trump has pledged will be the "largest mass deportation program in history.”
Zada isn't charged with any crimes but is accused of having "formally pledged loyalty to ISIS" and of having "supported" the conspiracy involving her then-17-year-old son and son-in-law, according to an unclassified memo filed with the court.
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The memo also alleges that Zada "worked to indoctrinate her children with ISIS ideology and have them pledge loyalty to ISIS" behind her husband's back.
“This is not a criminal matter,” Judge Joan Ericksen told Zada during the hearing, according to The . “This is a civil matter that arises under the immigration code.”
Because the ATRC is a civil court, the standard of proof is lower than in a criminal court, which requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt, according to NPR, which said Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to make it easier to use classified evidence against potential deportees.
During Thursday's hearing, court-appointed federal defender Matthew Farley urged Erickson, who normally presides over cases in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, to dismiss the case against Zada and release her.
"This entire scheme is in violation of due process and is unconstitutional," Farley said, according to the AP.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Hayden O'Byrne told the judge that Zada met the definition of a deportable alien terrorist and said "the U.S. has classified evidence to prove that," according to NPR.
Zada's husband worked at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2016, when it was controlled by the U.S., and was granted a green card through a special program for Afghans who assisted the American military during its 20-year war against the Taliban, according to CBS News.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
