The U.S. Department of Justice activated a long-dormant specialized court for the first time, filing its inaugural case in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC) to seek the deportation of Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old Afghan lawful permanent resident living in Fort Worth, Texas.
“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. The Department’s application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a Thursday statement.
The application was filed two weeks ago on July 15. Zada was arrested earlier this week and appeared before Chief Judge Joan N. Ericksen in Washington, D.C. This marks the first-ever use of a court that Congress created during Bill Clinton’s administration in 1996 under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, but that had remained unused for three decades.
The case centers on Zada’s alleged role supporting an ISIS-inspired mass-casualty shooting planned for Election Day, November 5, 2024. Her son, then-17-year-old Abdullah Haji Zada — who was later sentenced as an adult — and son-in-law, then-27-year-old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, were arrested on October 7, 2024, after purchasing two AK-47-style rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition, and magazines from an undercover FBI employee.
Abdullah pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. As part of his plea, he agreed to a judicial order of removal to Afghanistan after serving his sentence, terminating his permanent resident status and waiving most appeals or asylum claims.
Tawhedi (pictured above) pleaded guilty in June 2025 to conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, as well as related firearms offenses in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism. He is awaiting sentencing.
Court documents indicate the family liquidated assets — including furniture, electronics, vehicles, and a contract to sell their house, in order to fund the plot. They also purchased one-way tickets for Nazira and the younger children to Kabul, Afghanistan, shortly before the planned attack, while excluding Abdullah and Tawhedi.
An unclassified FBI summary alleges Zada is an ISIS supporter who worked to indoctrinate her children with the group’s ideology, had them pledge loyalty, and supported the conspiracy. Prosecutors said she has no criminal history and has not been charged with a crime.
The court consists of Article III federal district judges appointed by the Chief Justice. It allows the government to rely on classified national security information — providing an unclassified summary where full disclosure would risk sources and methods — to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the individual is an “alien terrorist” under relevant immigration statutes. Paid counsel is available if needed, and appeals go to the D.C. Circuit.
Officials, including Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, framed the action as using every available tool to remove noncitizens who support terrorism, noting that traditional proceedings can force a choice between leaving a dangerous individual in the country or revealing sensitive intelligence.
At the first public hearing, Zada appeared with federal public defenders (including Matthew Farley) and translators. Defense counsel argued the entire ATRC framework violates due process and is unconstitutional, seeking dismissal and release. Judge Ericksen denied the immediate requests but allowed the constitutional challenges to be briefed as the case proceeds. He also noted the novelty of the dormant court, and the fact that this is its first case.
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Christina Botteri is the Executive Editor of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on X at @christinakb.
