U.S. seeks deportation of Afghan woman via rare terrorism court

3 min read

The Justice Department has filed the first-ever petition in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court seeking deportation of Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan woman arrested this week in Fort Worth, Texas, on allegations she supported an Islamic State-inspired Election Day plot. An FBI memo says she is an IS supporter who had her children pledge loyalty and aided relatives tied to the plot; court filings identify her son and son-in-law, who were convicted or pleaded guilty in related cases. The rare use of the long-dormant 1996 court, with a hearing set Thursday in Washington, signals a new legal tool for addressing alleged foreign terror ties.

The Justice Department invoked a dormant terrorist removal court for deportation