The Department of Justice has activated the long-dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court to seek the deportation of an Afghan woman accused of supporting an ISIS-inspired plan to attack polling places on Election Day 2024, and the move underscores a broader push to use available legal tools to remove dangerous noncitizens from the country.
The Alien Terrorist Removal Court was created decades ago but remained unused until now, and the Trump administration has chosen to bring the first case to that forum. Federal prosecutors say Nazira Haji Zada, living in Fort Worth, Texas, aided family members who plotted a mass shooting targeting American voters. Her son and son-in-law were previously arrested and convicted, and the DOJ filed an application in the ATRC to remove her on July 15.
Officials announced Zada’s arrest and said she will appear before Chief Judge Joan N. Ericksen in Washington, D.C., at a scheduled ATRC hearing. Law enforcement credit officers who uncovered and disrupted this plot, noting the severe threat such a coordinated attack would have posed to election-day safety and public confidence. The decision to use the ATRC signals a willingness to apply longstanding authorities to modern threats coming in on our soil.
https://x.com/TheJusticeDept/status/2082815631573860655
The DOJ’s public statement was direct: “Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court three decades ago to remove from the United States alien terrorists who never should have been here in the first place,” and it stressed that terrorists have no place in the United States. That language was echoed by senior Justice Department officials highlighting the matriarch’s alleged role in supporting a violent, politically targeted scheme. The department filed the ATRC application to make removal proceedings the mechanism for getting her out of the country.
Department of Justice Files First Case in U.S. Alien Terrorist Removal Court to Deport Afghan Alien Who Supported Her Family’s Plans for Election-Day Shooting.
“Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court three decades ago to remove from the United States alien terrorists who never should have been here in the first place,” said Acting Attorney General
“The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family aiding in a plot to launch a mass casualty attack on American voters on Election Day. The Department’s application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America.”
That official language is intended to be blunt: people who conspire to commit mass violence in the name of extremism should not be sheltered within our borders. Evidence brought forward in the ATRC application ties Zada to support for family members who plotted a politically motivated attack aimed at undermining the safety of voters and the electoral process. Prosecutors will seek expedited removal within the ATRC framework, a process designed for cases involving national security risks.
Stopping an Election Day massacre before it happens protects voters and preserves the integrity of the ballot box. The plot’s exposure should serve as a reminder that threats against elections can come from unexpected quarters, and that existing law enforcement mechanisms must be used aggressively to neutralize them. Using the ATRC now demonstrates a commitment to applying every lawful tool to defend public safety and election security.
Critics of tougher immigration enforcement will no doubt complain, but this case illustrates why a robust immigration posture matters. Allowing known or suspected extremists to remain in the country risks more than isolated crimes; it invites efforts to intimidate or harm American institutions. The ATRC offers a legal path to remove individuals who, by their actions, show they threaten our civic order.
Beyond jihadis, officials are increasingly focused on removing a range of foreign criminal elements—cartel operatives, gang leaders, and others—who exploit our system to carry out violence and other illegal acts. The ATRC’s activation isn’t a cure-all, but it is another instrument in the toolbox for securing the homeland and keeping dangerous people out. When law enforcement uncovers plots like this, the government must move swiftly to ensure those responsible are held accountable and, where appropriate, removed.
For now, the focus remains on the upcoming ATRC proceedings and the evidence the Justice Department will present to justify removal. The swift arrests and prosecutions of the plot’s perpetrators reflect effective investigative work, and the new ATRC filing shows the administration intends to follow through on both prosecutions and removals. The next steps will play out in court, where the nation will watch how this long-unused legal mechanism performs when tasked with defending American safety and elections.
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