Afghan woman deported after admitting to supporting terror plot in first-ever use of Alien Terrorist Removal Court

An Afghan woman accused of supporting an Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)-inspired 2024 shooting plot on Election Day has been deported from Texas in the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) first use of the U.S. Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC).

On Friday, the DOJ announced the removal of Nazira Haji Zada, 47, who lived in Fort Worth, Texas, and admitted to conspiring with at least one other individual to purchase two AK-47 rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition and 10 magazines to carry out an attack on or around November 5, 2024, on behalf of ISIS.

Zada was described by the department as the “matriarch” of her family. Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, were previously arrested and convicted for the Election Day plot.

Her case was the first to have been brought before the ATRC since it was established by Congress in 1996. The application to remove her was filed on July 15^th and certified by Attorney General Todd Blanche. She appeared in court for the first time on July 30^th, presided over by ATRC Chief Judge Joan N. Ericksen, who signed the order to remove her to her country of origin.

 

The DOJ said that the U.S. government provided Zada with two federal public defenders and approximately half a terabyte of documents supporting the government’s case.

“This landmark case, resulting in the prompt removal of this alien terrorist to her country of origin, is a win for national security and the rule of law,” Blanche stated. “Those who support and condone terrorism should not be living in the United States, and this first-ever case before the ATRC shows how the Department will use every tool at its disposal to protect our country.”

Tawhedi and Abdullah were arrested on October 7, 2024, after buying weapons and ammunition from an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) employee.

Abdullah, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He will also be deported to Afghanistan following his incarceration, as stipulated by his plea agreement.

In June 2025, Tawhedi, 28, pled guilty to conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism. He is awaiting sentencing.

 

“This is a historic and vitally important step in our work to protect the U.S. homeland from terrorism,” said Director Kash Patel. “An individual who supported a plot by ISIS-sympathizing family members to commit an attack in America has paid the price for that. She came to our country, betrayed it, and has now lost the right to live here and enjoy our democratic freedoms.”

“Zada supported her sons’ terrorist plot to attack the United States while she enjoyed the privilege of residing here as a resident alien,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said. “She abused our Nation’s hospitality and represented a clear threat to our national security. The United States is a safer place now that her sons are in custody and she has been deported.”

“Those who support terrorism against the American people will face the consequences,” stated State Department Spokesman Tommy Pigott. “We will secure our borders, and we will use every tool to stop those who intend us harm from entering or remaining at-large in our country.

 

In the first-ever case before the United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), Nazira Haji Zada, 47, an Afghan national previously residing in Fort Worth, Texas, was removed from the U.S. after conceding that she is an alien terrorist. As the matriarch in her family, she… pic.twitter.com/91lv3Ixqbb

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) September 11, 2026

Credit:   https://www.oann.com/alerts