In first of its kind, Trump admin deports Afghan woman via Alien Terrorist Court
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "In first of its kind, Trump admin deports Afghan woman via Alien Terrorist Court")
US President Donald Trump speaks at the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on September 11, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
The Trump administration has secured the first deportation through the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, removing Afghan woman Nazira Haji Zada after she admitted to being an "alien terrorist" in a case linked to a foiled 2024 terror plot.
The US Justice Department has secured the first deportation through the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a little-known tribunal that had never been used by previous administrations. The department announced on Friday (Sept 11) that Afghan national Nazira Haji Zada had been deported to Afghanistan after she admitted to being an "alien terrorist". The case was linked to allegations that she helped her son and son-in-law plan a terror attack that was foiled in 2024.
The deportation marks the first use of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court since the Donald Trump administration activated the tribunal earlier this year.
According to newly unsealed court documents and the Justice Department, Haji Zada agreed to the alien terrorist designation before she was removed from the United States.
Attorney General Todd Blanche described the case as a victory for US national security and the rule of law.
"The 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," Blanche said in a statement on Friday.
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He added that people who support or condone terrorism should not be allowed to remain in the United States. Blanche said the case demonstrated that the Justice Department would use every available legal tool to protect the country.
Haji Zada's lawyers had earlier challenged the constitutionality of the tribunal. They argued that its procedures violated due process and other constitutional protections.
The Alien Terrorist Removal Court allows the Justice Department to keep certain classified information secret during deportation proceedings. This can include information that the government uses to classify an immigrant as an "alien terrorist".
The cases are heard by Article III federal judges. These judges are considered more independent from the executive branch than immigration judges who normally handle deportation cases.
Previous US administrations had never used the tribunal. One possible reason was concern that using it could lead to a court ruling that the system itself was unconstitutional.
The Trump administration's first successful case before the tribunal now marks a significant new development in how the US government handles immigration cases involving alleged terrorism.
