Justice Department revives dormant court to deport Afghan woman linked to ISIS plot

The Justice Department filed a petition on Wednesday to use the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a specialized federal tribunal created in 1996 but never before employed, to deport Nazira Haji Zada of Fort Worth, Texas. Haji Zada, who was arrested earlier this week, is accused of aiding family members in an Islamic State-inspired plot to target American voters on Election Day.

A hearing is set for Thursday in Washington, D.C. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case demonstrates that "terrorists have no place in the United States of America."

According to an FBI memorandum dated July 15, investigators found that Haji Zada expressed support for the Islamic State and encouraged her children to pledge loyalty to the group. She is identified as the mother and mother-in-law of two Afghan men convicted in Oklahoma for their role in the same plot. Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, received a 15-year prison sentence in November and agreed to be deported after release. Her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State, including ordering weapons and arranging travel for family members.

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court, composed of five federal judges appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, handles cases where the government seeks removal of non-citizens deemed "alien terrorists" based on classified evidence. All proceedings are scheduled to take place at the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse in Washington.