Story perspectives

Judge Denies Afghan’s Release, Reactivates Secret Terrorist Court

7/31/2026

Summary

Justice Dept. Deportation

The Justice Department filed an Alien Terrorist Removal Court application to deport Afghan Nazira Haji Zada, 47, resulting in Judge Joan Ericksen denying her release and setting a July 30 hearing.
Prosecutors allege Zada aided her son Abdullah Haji Zada and son-in-law Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi in a 2024 plot.
Defense attorney Matthew Farley argued the court’s reliance on classified evidence violates Zada’s due-process rights, noting the court lacks a filing system.

Summary

Trump Revives Court

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court received its first removal application on July 15, reviving a tribunal unused since 1996.
All five judges serve on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and were appointed by Supreme Court chief justice.
President Donald Trump’s administration has activated the dormant court to speed deportations that rely on classified evidence.
Legal experts warn the case could create a precedent for using secret courts to bypass immigration safeguards.

History

Historical Context

The 1996 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, signed by President Bill Clinton on April 24 after the April 19 Oklahoma City bombing, created a secret Alien Terrorist Removal Court staffed by five Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judges and funded with $1 billion. The Justice Department’s July 15 filing against Afghan national Nazira Haji Zada revives that mechanism, echoing the act’s aim to speed deportations using classified evidence.

1 of 3

Justice Dept. Deportation

The Justice Department filed an Alien Terrorist Removal Court application to deport Afghan Nazira Haji Zada, 47, resulting in Judge Joan Ericksen denying her release and setting a July 30 hearing.
Prosecutors allege Zada aided her son Abdullah Haji Zada and son-in-law Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi in a 2024 plot.
Defense attorney Matthew Farley argued the court’s reliance on classified evidence violates Zada’s due-process rights, noting the court lacks a filing system.

1 / 3