The federal government has deported former Fort Worth resident Nazira Haji Zada after she conceded she was an “alien terrorist” in the first case brought before the U.S. Alien Terrorist Removal Court.
Zada, a 47-year-old Afghan national and lawful permanent resident, was accused of supporting an ISIS-inspired Election Day 2024 mass-shooting plot involving her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi. Both men were previously convicted in connection with the planned attack.
Tawhedi admitted to conspiring to purchase two AK-47 rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition, and 10 magazines for use in a mass shooting.
The criminal complaint alleged that Nazira Haji Zada supported the ISIS-inspired Election Day plot involving her son and son-in-law, including by helping raise money through the sale of family property and by participating in the family’s alleged radicalization.
According to court documents: “The FBI is further aware that NAZIRA, in collaboration with TAWHEDI, worked to indoctrinate her children with ISIS ideology and have them pledge loyalty to ISIS. NAZIRA worked with TAWHEDI to radicalize the family.”
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche certified the application to remove Nazira Haji Zada. The government’s case included half a terabyte of documentation establishing her as an alien terrorist.
She conceded to being an “alien terrorist,” was removed, and is permanently barred from reentering the country.
The order of removal was issued by the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), which was established to remove alien terrorists from the country. The court handles special cases that involve government information classified for national security. Although the court was established in 1996, Zada’s case was the first it heard.
“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. 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,” said Blanche.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Selene Rodriguez noted that Zada’s case shows Texas must continue to develop means of defending itself as the threats facing the United States are no longer confined to distant battlefields overseas.
“Texas must continue developing permanent internal defense capabilities that can respond to modern asymmetric threats,” stated Rodriguez. “These measures would help establish a comprehensive framework to protect Texas from subversion, lawlessness, foreign adversaries, terrorist organizations, and transnational criminal networks while safeguarding the state’s people, infrastructure, and economic stability.”
