Afghan Woman Deported Using Obscure "Alien Terrorist" Court
The Justice Department said Friday it deported Haji Zada after she waived her right to challenge the removal order. Her case was the first petition ever filed with the Alien Terrorist Removal Court.
- 47 years old, Haji Zada was arrested in July at her Fort Worth, Texas home.
- The court was established in 1996 but had received no petitions until July 2025.
- Her son received a 15-year sentence for obtaining firearms to support a terrorist organization.
- The Justice Department said it shared half a terabyte of documents with her lawyers.
Why it matters: The court allows the government to deport accused terrorists when classified evidence cannot be disclosed in standard immigration proceedings. Targets, including lawful permanent residents, cannot review that classified evidence and cannot challenge how it was collected.
- Haji Zada had never been charged with a crime.
- Her deportation averts a ruling on the court's constitutionality, leaving the legal questions unresolved.
How 35 sources split on this story
Where they split: The government calls the outcome a national security win; Haji Zada's lawyers say her consent was not an endorsement of the court's legitimacy and that its procedures violate due process.
Center coverage, 10 sources: The center presents both the government's national security rationale and the defense's due process objections without foregrounding either.
Associated Press1w+Afghan woman whose case was the first for a long-dormant court has been deported, officials say
Axios1w+Afghan woman deported in first-ever "Alien Terrorist" court case, DOJ says
BBC News1w+Afghan woman deported from US in first use of 'alien terrorist' courtKSAKSAT 12 San Antonio1w+Afghan woman whose case was the first for a long-dormant court has been deported, officials say
NPR1w+Alien Terrorist Removal Court deports legal US resident to Afghanistan in first-ever case
PBS NewsHour1w+Afghan woman whose case was the first for a long-dormant court has been deported, officials say
The Hill1w+Trump administration announces first-ever deportation from terrorist removal courtWNCWFLA News Channel 81w+Afghan woman deported in first Alien Terrorist Removal Court rulingLeft coverage, 9 sources: The left emphasizes the court's secrecy, the absence of criminal charges against Haji Zada, and unresolved constitutional questions about due process for lawful permanent residents.
CBS News1w+Afghan woman in Texas dubbed an "alien terrorist" is deported in DOJ's first case using obscure court
CNN1w+Justice Department secures deportation of Afghan woman through secretive ‘Alien Terrorist’ court
The Independent1w+Woman whose case awakened long-dormant US court has been deported
Al Jazeera1w+Afghan woman deported in first use of US Alien Terrorist Removal Court
Los Angeles Times1w+Afghan woman whose case was the first for a long-dormant court has been deported, officials say
MSNBC1w+Trump administration secures deportation of first subject of Alien Terrorist Removal Court
Raw Story1w+Alarm as Trump's secretive court claims its first victim: 'It defies logic'TBGThe Boston Globe1w+Afghan woman brought before Alien Terrorist Removal Court deported
The Washington Post1w+Woman deported to Afghanistan in first use of Alien Terrorist Removal Court
The Epoch Times1w+DOJ Removes Afghan in First-Ever Use of Alien Terrorist Court
Townhall1w+Trump Just Used This Forgotten Method to Get a Terrorist Deported
Citizen Free Press1w+Female Afghan terrorist living in Texas deported from USA.
Fox News1w+First use of Alien Terrorist Removal Court sends Afghan woman back after Election Day ISIS plot: DOJ
Just the News1w+Justice Department announces deportation of Afghan woman through terrorist removal courtLILegal Insurrection1w+Trump Uses Alien Terrorist Court for First-Ever Deportation
Newsmax1w+DOJ Deports Afghan Woman in Historic Terror Court Case
NTD1w+Afghan in Texas Deported in First Use of Alien Terrorist Removal Court: DOJ
One America News1w+Afghan woman deported after admitting to supporting terror plot in first-ever use of Alien Terrorist Removal Court
PJ Media1w+America Had a Terrorist Removal Court for 30 Years. Nobody Used It.
RedState1w+First: Afghan Terror Plot Matriarch Permanently Deported
RSBNetwork1w+Afghan woman deported in first use of terrorist removal courtWhat’s next: Her lawyers said they are confident the court will be struck down as unconstitutional once directly challenged.
- Her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, has pleaded guilty but has not yet been sentenced.
- To which country was Haji Zada deported, and when exactly did removal occur?
- Will the Justice Department bring additional cases before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court?
- Will a future case produce a judicial ruling on the court's constitutionality?