Trump administration launches first case before dormant ‘Alien Terrorist’ court

Published July 30, 2026 2:10pm ET | Updated July 30, 2026 2:10pm ET



The Trump administration is bringing the first-ever case before a little-known national security court created nearly three decades ago, seeking to deport an Afghan woman with a green card who the Justice Department alleges supported an Islamic State-linked terrorist plot involving her son and son-in-law.

Nazira Haji Zada, 47 of Fort Worth, Texas, is scheduled to appear on Thursday before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court in Washington, D.C. The hearing will mark the first public proceeding in the court’s history after Congress created the specialized tribunal in 1996 but never used it.

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