DOJ Uses Alien Terrorist Removal Court for First Time in Historic Deportation Case
The Justice Department has taken the Alien Terrorist Removal Court into untested territory, holding the first public hearing in the history of a national security court created nearly three decades ago.
DOJ is asking the court to remove Nazira Haji Zada, a 47 year old lawful permanent resident from Fort Worth, Texas. The department alleges she supported an ISIS inspired Election Day 2024 mass shooting plot involving her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son in law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi.
Zada has not been criminally charged, a key fact driving the legal fight. Her lawyer, Matthew Farley, argued that the proceeding violates due process and is unconstitutional. Reuters reported that Judge Joan Ericksen rejected a request for Zada’s immediate release, while no date has been set for the next hearing.
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The court was created in 1996 to let the government seek removal of noncitizens classified as terrorists while protecting classified evidence. DOJ says that structure avoids forcing officials to choose between disclosing sensitive national security information and allowing a dangerous person to remain in the country.
That same feature is now the center of the controversy. Legal reaction has focused on whether a person can meaningfully challenge deportation when some evidence may remain secret. Immigration lawyers and online legal communities are already framing the case as a test of national security power, classified evidence and constitutional limits.
The immediate consequence is narrow but significant. If DOJ succeeds, the first ATRC case could create a roadmap for future terrorism related removal proceedings. If Zada’s challenge gains traction, the court’s first real test could instead produce new limits on how far the government can go when national security evidence is withheld.
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