The Justice Department is invoking a rarely used special court for the first time in its three-decade existence to pursue the deportation of a woman accused of supporting the Islamic State.
The department is seeking to remove Nazira Haji Zada, a lawful permanent resident based in Fort Worth, Texas, using the Alien Terrorist Removal Court.
Zada, 47, appeared before the court Thursday for what marked the first hearing in the court’s history since Congress established it in 1996.
Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court specifically to allow the Justice Department to rely on classified evidence when building deportation cases against suspected terrorists on American soil.
Despite being on the books for 30 years, the court had never been activated until the DOJ launched proceedings against Zada earlier this month.
Prosecutors have already pursued criminal charges against Zada’s son and son-in-law, who were convicted of attempting to carry out attacks on behalf of the Islamic State during the 2024 elections.
Both men received prison sentences and are set to be deported once they have completed their time behind bars.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a pointed statement laying out the government’s position on the case and its broader implications for national security.
“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,” Blanche said.
Blanche added that “the Department’s application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America.”
Judge Joan Ericksen, the chief judge of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, is presiding over the landmark proceedings.
The case marks a significant shift in how the Justice Department is approaching the deportation of individuals it links to terrorist organizations, particularly lawful permanent residents who cannot be removed through standard immigration channels.
The activation of the court signals a willingness by the current administration to pursue legal tools that previous administrations left dormant, even when dealing with cases involving serious national security concerns.
