First Hearing Scheduled for Long-Dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court in Texas Woman’s Case

The Justice Department filed a petition on Wednesday seeking the removal of Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan-born resident of Texas whose son was convicted last year for an ISIS-aligned plot targeting the 2024 election. The request will be heard by the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), a body created in 1996 but unused until now, during an initial status hearing scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. ET in a federal courthouse in Washington.

According to unclassified court filings, Zada has no criminal record, but the department alleges she "worked to indoctrinate her children with ISIS ideology and have them pledge loyalty to ISIS." The filing notes that much of the underlying evidence is classified to protect intelligence sources and methods.

The ATRC, composed of five U.S. district judges with chief judge Joan Ericksen overseeing the case, operates under procedures that limit the defendant’s access to the evidence against her. While the hearing will be open to the public, many details will remain confidential, prompting some legal analysts to question the court’s compliance with constitutional due-process standards.

"The underlying information is classified because disclosure would enable terrorists and terrorist organizations to avoid preventative or detection measures or would reveal FBI or other U.S. Intelligence Community sources and methods by which such information is obtained," the Justice Department said in its summary.