Full Breakdown
DOJ Seeks First Deportation via Alien Terrorist Removal Court
7/30/2026, 9:41:09 PM
First Use of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court
On July 15 the Justice Department filed a petition with the Alien Terrorist Removal Court—an obscure tribunal created by Congress in 1996—to deport Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old lawful permanent resident of Fort Worth, Texas. The court’s initial hearing is scheduled for July 30. This marks the first time the government has invoked the court’s authority to remove an individual on terrorism-related grounds.
Background of the Zada Family Plot
Prosecutors allege that Zada’s son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, pleaded guilty in 2024 to a scheme to purchase two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition for a mass-shooting plan targeting American voters on Election Day. Both men admitted trying to fund the plot by selling family property, including furniture, computers and two vehicles.
Data & Statistics
- Nazira Haji Zada, 47, has no criminal record and has not been publicly charged.
- Abdullah Haji Zada received a 15-year prison sentence and will be deported after serving it (court records).
- Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing (court records).
- The family allegedly raised funds by selling assets and by Zada signing a contract to sell the family home and purchasing one-way flights for several relatives, excluding her son and son-in-law (court records).
Official Statements & Responses
FBI Director Kash Patel called the filing “a historic step” in using the court to remove an individual who supported an ISIS-sympathizing family’s terrorist plot.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This is a historic step asking this court for the first time to remove an individual from the United States who supported a plot by ISIS-sympathizing family members to commit an act of terrorism in America,” — FBI Director Kash Patel, said FBI director
- “Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court three decades ago to remove from the United States alien terrorists who never should have been here in the first place,” — Acting Attorney General Todd
What’s Next
The July 30 hearing will determine whether the court will grant the DOJ’s removal request. Defendants who cannot afford counsel are entitled to court-appointed attorneys, and any decision can be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
