INTERNATIONAL — July 30, 2026
US Court to Review Deportation Case of Afghan Woman Accused of Ties to ISIS
The proceedings mark the first use of the 1996 Alien Terrorist Removal Court, which permits classified evidence. Haji Zada's son and son-in-law have already pleaded guilty to related weapons and terrorism charges.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Khaama Press — corroborated by Afghanistan International — 2 min read
A US court will hear the deportation case of Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old Afghan-born lawful permanent resident living in Fort Worth, Texas. The Department of Justice accuses her of supporting an ISIS-inspired plot to attack voters on election day in 2024 and of pledging allegiance to the group.
This marks the first use of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a specialized body established in 1996 that allows the government to present classified evidence. Haji Zada has not been formally charged with any terrorist crime and has no known criminal record.
Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tohidi, have already pleaded guilty to weapons and terrorism-related charges connected to the plot. Her husband previously worked at Bagram Air Base from 2009 to 2016 and obtained permanent residency through a US assistance program for Afghans.
The proceedings rely on the rarely invoked court procedures that limit a defendant's access to certain evidence presented against them. Both sources reporting on the case draw from court records and Department of Justice statements.
Read the original reporting at Khaama Press →
Reliability assessment
Two independent outlets corroborate the core event using court records and DOJ statements; named officials and specific details (court name, dates, locations) provide strong attribution
The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Afghanistan International: "mother of an ISIS-supporting family", "deadly attack against American voters", "ISIS-supporting family" — these phrases emotionally frame the accused as part of an inherently dangerous family unit and present the allegations as established fact before any formal charges or trial.
Independent web corroboration
A separate web search returned 8 matching reports. A selection:
The Justice Department revived the dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court in an effort to deport an Afghan woman accused of supporting an Islamic State terror plot.
An Afghan woman accused of supporting an Islamic State-inspired plot in the U.S. is the first person facing deportation through the Trump administration’s use of an obscure court that remained dormant for 30 years, according to court records filed Wednesday.
The Justice Department is seeking to convince a federal judge to deport a Texas-based Afghan woman who prosecutors allege is an "alien terrorist," it revealed Wednesday, in the first-ever test case before a secretive court that has never convened.
Across the newsrooms
Where reports agree
- Core facts of the deportation case, court involved, family connections to ISIS plot, husband's Bagram employment, and lack of prior criminal charges against Haji Zada are consistent across both sources
Where reports differ
- Minor spelling variation in son-in-law's name (Tohidi vs Tawhedi); one source provides specific 15-year sentence detail absent in the other
Filed by 2 outlets
Khaama Press
Originating
Reported straight
Reported straight
Afghanistan International
Framed
Framed
Filed under
International — Nazira Haji Zada, Alien Terrorist Removal Court, ISIS, US deportation, Afghan diaspora
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