Afghan permanent resident departs U.S. after Justice Department uses Alien Terrorist Removal Court
Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old Afghan permanent resident, chose voluntary departure rather than continue litigation in the secretive Alien Terrorist Removal Court, marking the first deportation under that process.
The Justice Department announced Friday that Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old Afghan permanent resident living in Texas, opted to leave the United States instead of pursuing further appeals in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC). The ATRC, established in 1996, allows the government to deport non-citizens when the evidence against them is classified and cannot be disclosed for national-security reasons.
Haji Zada’s public defenders had initially said she would contest the removal, arguing that the court’s secret procedures violated her due-process rights. Under ATRC rules, individuals classified as “alien terrorists” cannot review the classified evidence or challenge how it was obtained, and they are not charged with criminal offenses.
The department linked Haji Zada to a plot involving her son and son-in-law, who were convicted for an ISIS-inspired mass-shooting scheme targeting Election Day in 2024. It said it provided her lawyers with roughly half a terabyte of documents to support its claim that she aided the plan and attempted to radicalize family members.
In a statement, Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case demonstrated the department’s commitment to national security, adding that individuals who support terrorism should not reside in the United States.