For the First Time, DOJ Uses a 30-Year-Old Terrorism Removal Court
The federal government invoked a specialized removal court, created by Congress in 1996 but never before used, to remove an Afghan national from the U.S. over an alleged terror plot.
The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security announced the removal of a 47-year-old Afghan national who had been living in Fort Worth, Texas. Officials say the case marks the first time the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC) — a specialized federal court Congress established in 1996 — has actually been used to remove someone from the country.
What Happened
According to the government's account, the woman is accused of helping fund a family plot for an ISIS-inspired mass shooting reportedly planned around the 2024 Election Day. Her son and son-in-law were arrested in October 2024; investigators say the family bought firearms and ammunition and sold property to help finance the plan. The son has already been sentenced to 15 years in prison, and the son-in-law is awaiting sentencing.
Proceedings against the mother took place before the ATRC in mid-to-late July 2026, and a removal order was issued on August 20, 2026. The court's procedures allow the government to use classified evidence, guarantee the respondent legal counsel, and permit appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
What This Means
The ATRC has existed on paper for nearly three decades without ever being used in an actual case. Its first real-world application signals that the government is willing to reach for this rarely used tool in cases it considers to involve direct national-security threats, rather than routing them through standard removal proceedings.
For the vast majority of visa holders, green card applicants, and other immigrants, this development has no direct bearing — the ATRC is reserved for a narrow category of alleged terrorism-related cases and operates entirely separately from ordinary visa adjudication or removal processes. Still, the case is significant as a marker: it shows that a powerful, long-dormant legal mechanism within the U.S. immigration enforcement system can be activated when the government decides the circumstances warrant it.
Because the process permits the use of classified evidence against a respondent, immigration attorneys are likely to continue debating how due-process protections apply in this specialized court compared with standard removal hearings.
Source
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