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DOJ Seeks to Use Court to Deport Mother of Convicted ISIS Supporter
nytimes.com • • nation
Key Points:
- The Alien Terrorist Removal Court, established 30 years ago to deport immigrants accused of terrorism, will hear its first case involving Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan woman and lawful permanent resident in Texas, accused of supporting ISIS.
- Prosecutors allege Ms. Zada is connected to a thwarted ISIS-inspired plot to carry out a mass shooting on Election Day 2024, involving her son and son-in-law who pleaded guilty to related charges.
- The case marks an early test of the court’s secretive procedures, where much evidence is classified and defendants cannot challenge the methods of evidence collection.
- Ms. Zada has not been criminally charged and has no criminal record, but prosecutors claim she supported the conspiracy and pledged loyalty to ISIS.
- The Justice Department's use of the court reflects an expansion of legal tools to pursue deportations linked to terrorism, a strategy intensified during the Trump administration.
