Alien Terrorist Removal Court holds first-ever case : NPR

Key Points:

• The Justice Department has, for the first time, used the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to deport Nazira Haji Zada, a legal US resident originally from Afghanistan, after she admitted to being an "alien terrorist" linked to an ISIS-inspired mass shooting plot.
• Prosecutors allege Haji Zada supported her son and son-in-law's plan to carry out the attack on Election Day 2024; both men have been charged, with her son sentenced to 15 years in prison, and are set for deportation after release.
• The case was handled through civil proceedings in the secretive court, which allows use of classified evidence and a lower standard of proof to remove individuals deemed threats to national security; Haji Zada waived her rights to challenge the removal.
• Haji Zada's attorneys challenged the constitutionality of the process, citing lack of access to evidence and due process concerns, arguing the court's legitimacy should be questioned.
• Attorney General Todd Blanche praised the case as a significant measure for national security, highlighting the department's commitment to using all available tools to protect the country.