DOJ asking secretive court to remove Afghan woman allegedly tied to terror plot

The U.S. Justice Department is pushing to deport a Texas-based Afghan woman through a secretive court, marking the first-ever test case for the Alien Terrorist Removal Court. Nazira Haji Zada, 47, is accused of being an "alien terrorist" and supporting an ISIS-inspired plot to carry out a mass shooting on Election Day in 2024. Prosecutors allege Zada, who has no known criminal history, "supported" her son and son-in-law's conspiracy, "pledged loyalty to ISIS," and "worked to indoctrinate her children with ISIS ideology." The FBI cited information from a "reliable source" indicating Zada worked with her son-in-law to radicalize the family and conceal their plans from her husband. Her son and son-in-law had previously pleaded guilty to gun crimes and terrorism offenses related to the alleged plot. The Alien Terrorist Removal Court, created in 1996, allows for the deportation of noncitizens based on classified national security information, which the accused cannot access or legally challenge. Hearings are conducted ex parte and in camera, meaning the target of the deportation is not present or aware of the evidence presented.

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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.