First-Ever Alien Terrorist Removal Court Case Ends With Afghan National Deportation

According to Axios, the Justice Department said Friday that Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan national and lawful permanent resident, has been deported after becoming the first-ever case before the federal Alien Terrorist Removal Court. Chief Judge Joan Ericksen ordered Zada's removal in an August 20 order that was recently unsealed, and the DOJ said it used classified information to establish that Zada was an alien terrorist. The government accused Zada of assisting her son and son-in-law's foiled 2024 shooting plot, while her lawyers argued the case violated her due process rights and that they were being kept in the dark about the evidence. Attorney General Todd Blanche called the outcome a win for national security and the rule of law. The DOJ filed the first application in the court's history in July, and an unclassified summary said Zada was an ISIS supporter who backed the conspiracy.