A secret federal court used for the first time ever just authorized a deportation linked to an ISIS plot

A federal court that sat dormant for decades has now been used for the first time to remove an Afghan national accused of supporting an ISIS-inspired attack plot. The case involved classified evidence and ended with the woman agreeing to her deportation.

Per Axios, The Justice Department identified the woman as Nazira Haji Zada, a lawful permanent resident who had been living in Fort Worth, Texas. Officials accused her of supporting a plan involving her son and son-in-law to carry out a mass shooting in the United States.

Zada appeared before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a specialized federal court created by Congress but never previously used. The government relied in part on classified information to establish its case, and Zada ultimately conceded that she qualified as an “alien terrorist” and waived her right to appeal.

The court was built for cases exactly like this

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court was established to handle cases involving noncitizens accused of terrorism. Unlike a normal deportation proceeding, the court’s rules allow the government to use classified information when releasing it could create national security risks.

The government also gave Zada and her lawyers a huge amount of supporting material. The Justice Department said the defense received roughly half a terabyte of documents as part of the case.

In a press release by the DOJ, the underlying allegations involve Zada’s son Abdullah Haji Zada and her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi. Prosecutors said the pair were involved in a plan to carry out an ISIS-inspired mass shooting, with Tawhedi later pleading guilty to terrorism-related offenses.

The case has also raised questions about how much evidence can remain hidden from the public during these proceedings. Zada’s lawyers had previously argued that the government’s reliance on classified material left them with insufficient information about the allegations against their client.

Zada has now been removed from the United States and is permanently inadmissible, according to the report. The government is presenting the case as the first use of a court that could become another tool for removing people it identifies as terrorism threats.