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Afghan woman deported from US in first use of 'alien terrorist' court
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan woman and legal US permanent resident living in Texas, was deported in the first-ever case heard by the secretive Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC).
- The ATRC, established in 1996 for terrorism-related cases involving classified evidence, had never previously conducted a hearing until this July.
- Haji Zada was not charged with a crime but was accused of radicalizing her family, whose members were convicted of plotting a mass shooting inspired by ISIS.
- She conceded to being an "alien terrorist" and waived her appeal, leading to her removal from the US, which the Justice Department hailed as a national security victory.
- Her public defenders criticized the court for violating due process by withholding evidence and expressed confidence that the ATRC will be declared unconstitutional.
