US Refers Deportation Case of Afghan Green Card Holder to Special Terrorism Court
The US government has, for the first time, referred the deportation case of an Afghan citizen with permanent residency in the country to the “Foreign Terrorist Removal Court,” a move that could lead to the cancellation of her green card and deportation from the US.
The US Department of Justice announced that 47-year-old Nazira Hajizadeh, a resident of Texas, is accused of supporting her son and son-in-law’s plan to carry out an attack on the day of the 2024 US presidential election. According to American officials, the attack was intended to be conducted in the name of ISIS.
Based on court documents, US officials claim that she was aware of the attack plan, participated in selling family assets to finance it, and intended to travel one-way with the family’s children to Kabul before the attack took place.
So far, no criminal charges have been filed against Nazira Hajizadeh; her case is being reviewed under immigration law with the aim of deportation.
Her defense attorney, Matthew Farley, has criticized the process as a violation of due process rights, emphasizing that his client is not facing criminal charges and that the government is using this court to bypass normal legal protections. He stated, “This entire process violates the principle of due process, contravenes the Constitution, and is a way to circumvent filing a criminal case.”
Asifa Stanekzai Amini, a human rights activist, noted that although the US legal system is based on individual responsibility, such cases could lead to increased security scrutiny and heighten a sense of legal insecurity among immigrants. Mohammadkhan Talebi Mohammadzi, an immigration rights activist, warned that the handling of this case may influence the public’s perception of the US immigration system.
This case arises after Nazira’s son, Abdullah Hajizadeh, and her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Towhidi, were arrested on October 7, 2024, following the purchase of two Kalashnikov rifles, 500 bullets, and several magazines from a seller who was an undercover FBI agent. Abdullah Hajizadeh, who was 17 at the time of arrest, was tried as an adult and sentenced to 15 years in prison; he agreed to be deported to Afghanistan after completing his sentence. Nasir Ahmad Towhidi, 28, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and is awaiting final sentencing.
The “Foreign Terrorist Removal Court” was established nearly three decades ago, but until now, there have been no reports of its practical use in a public case.
