Afghan woman Nazira Haji Zada, a permanent resident living in Texas, has never faced a case in court, while her defence lawyers plan to challenge the decision before a higher state court.
AUSTIN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 13th Sep, 2026) The US government deported Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan woman living in Texas, using a special court for the first time. According to the US Department of Justice, 47-year-old Haji Zada was a lawful permanent resident of the United States, but agreed to leave the country instead of continuing legal proceedings against her deportation.
Proceedings against Haji Zada were conducted under the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, established in 1996 to hear cases involving non-US citizens accused of terrorism-related offenses when the evidence concerns national security or classified information.
Before Haji Zada’s case in July, the court had never heard a case.
US officials said Haji Zada herself had not been accused of any crime. However, her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tauheed, have been convicted of planning a mass shooting on Election Day in 2024.
Officials said the alleged plot was inspired by the ideology of the group calling itself the Islamic State.
Prosecutors had accused Haji Zada of being the head of the family and of playing a role in influencing family members toward extremism.
The US Department of Justice said Haji Zada acknowledged herself as a “foreign terrorist” and waived her right to appeal the deportation order, after which her previous immigration status was terminated.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche described the action as a victory for national security and the rule of law.
He said those who support or encourage terrorism should not be allowed to remain in the United States.
Meanwhile, court-appointed lawyers for Haji Zada strongly objected to the court‘s proceedings and procedures.
They said they had not been given access to the evidence against their client. According to the lawyers, bringing a lawful permanent resident before a court while refusing to disclose the evidence used against her or her lawyers violates the right to due process guaranteed by the US Constitution.
The lawyers also clarified that Haji Zada’s agreement to deportation should not be considered an endorsement of the special court‘s legality.
They said that when the court‘s constitutional status is challenged before a judge, it may be declared unconstitutional.
