Haji Zada lived in Fort Worth, Texas, and held lawful permanent resident status. She was never criminally charged, but prosecutors linked her to a failed 2024 terror plot involving her family.
Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, faced charges over an ISIS-inspired mass shooting plot. Prosecutors said the planned attack targeted Election Day 2024.
First Case Under Secretive Court
Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court in 1996. However, authorities had never used the court before Haji Zada’s case.
The specialized court allows the government to use classified information in terrorism-related removal proceedings. The government must establish its case by a preponderance of the evidence.
The Justice Department filed Haji Zada’s case on July 15. She appeared before Chief Judge Joan N. Ericksen in Washington on July 30.
The court issued her removal order on Aug. 20. Officials unsealed the order after she returned to Afghanistan.
Lawyers Challenge Due Process
Haji Zada’s court-appointed lawyers challenged the proceedings on constitutional grounds. They argued that authorities denied them access to classified evidence used against their client.
The Justice Department said it provided Haji Zada and her lawyers about half a terabyte of supporting documents. The department also relied on classified information under the court’s statutory procedures.
Her lawyers said her agreement to deportation did not validate the court’s legitimacy. They maintained that the proceedings violated her constitutional right to due process.
Attorney General Todd Blanche called the case a victory for national security and the rule of law. He said the department would use available legal tools against terrorism.
The case could shape future challenges to the rarely used court. Haji Zada’s removal also ends her lawful permanent resident status and bars her from returning to the United States.