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The Justice Department has quietly set a new precedent by using the long-dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court to remove an Afghan national from the United States, a move that should make every serious American breathe a little easier. Nazira Haji Zada, who lived in Fort Worth, was designated an “alien terrorist” and deported after the special court approved her removal — the first time this tool has ever been used.
This secretive court was created by Congress in 1996 precisely for cases where national security requires handling classified evidence outside the usual public proceedings, and for decades it gathered dust while bureaucrats wrung their hands. That the court was finally activated shows the department is willing to use laws on the books when lives and American safety are at stake.
According to Justice Department filings, Haji Zada was tied to an ISIS-inspired plot involving her son and son-in-law, who plotted an election-day shooting in 2024 — a chilling reminder that radical violence can be incubated inside immigrant communities when law enforcement is hamstrung. The government alleges she supported family members who were convicted in connection with that plot, and she ultimately waived appeals and conceded her status as an alien terrorist.
Attorney General Todd Blanche and senior officials rightly framed the outcome as a victory for national security, and citizens should applaud any administration that uses every lawful instrument to expel those who celebrate terror. This was not theater; it was the rule of law in action, protecting Americans while keeping sensitive intelligence out of public hands where it could compromise sources and methods.
For years, similar tools were left unused while threats metastasized, proving once again that law without enforcement is merely paperwork. Conservatives who have argued for tough, principled immigration and counterterrorism policies see this as proof positive that a government willing to act can defend its citizens without surrendering classified secrets or civil order.
Make no mistake: this should be the start, not the exception. If the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security can deploy this court to remove genuine threats, they must do so aggressively while Washington finally answers the obvious next question — secure the border, vet arrivals, and stop importing radicalism disguised as mercy. Americans deserve leaders who protect them first, and this administration just gave us a model worth expanding.
