U.S. Revives Dormant Terrorist Removal Court to Deport Afghan Woman

On July 29, 2026 the Justice Department filed a petition in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to deport Nazira Haji Zada, a resident of Fort Worth, Texas, who is accused of supporting an Islamic State-inspired plot targeting U.S. voters on Election Day. The court, which has sat idle since its creation in 1996, is scheduled to hold a hearing on July 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. Court filings allege that Nazira encouraged her children to pledge loyalty to ISIS and that she acted as the matriarch of a family involved in the plot. The five-judge panel, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, will conduct the first deportation proceeding under the court’s “alien terrorist” authority.

The Hindu

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court was established by Congress in 1996 to expedite removal of non-citizens deemed terrorist threats. It never received a petition until the current administration revived the mechanism, filing the first application this month. The move follows the conviction of two Afghan men—Nazira’s son Abdullah Haji Zada, sentenced to 15 years in November 2025, and son-in-law Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and was involved in ordering AK-47 rifles and liquidating family assets.

The Hindu

“The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathising 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,” — Mr. Blanche, acting attorney

The Hindu

The hearing on July 30, 2026 will determine whether Nazira Haji Zada will be ordered removed from the United States under the dormant court’s authority. The outcome could set a precedent for future use of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court in immigration and national-security cases.

The Hindu