Justice Department seeks deportation of Texas woman in first Alien Terrorist Removal Court hearing
The Department of Justice filed its inaugural case before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to deport Nazira Haji Zada, a Texas permanent resident accused of supporting ISIS.
The U.S. Justice Department filed its first-ever petition with the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a special tribunal created by Congress in 1996 to allow the use of classified evidence in deportation cases. The petition targets Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old lawful permanent resident of Fort Worth, Texas, who is accused of aiding the Islamic State.
Zada is scheduled to appear before the court for an initial hearing on Thursday. Prosecutors have previously charged her son and son-in-law with attempting to influence the 2024 election on behalf of the terror group; both have been sentenced to prison and will face deportation after serving their terms.
"The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family aiding in a plot to launch a mass casualty attack on American voters on Election Day," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. "The Department's application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America."
The case marks the first time the court, which was established to streamline the removal of non-citizens deemed a security threat, will be used since its inception.