WASHINGTON (AP) — Nusrat Chowdhury, a civil rights attorney, has been confirmed by the Senate as the first Muslim federal judge in US history.
She will assume her lifetime appointment in Brooklyn federal court in New York after a 50-49 party-line vote Thursday.
The confirmation drew praise from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), where she serves as the organization’s Illinois legal director.
Prior to that role, she served from 2008 to 2020 at the ACLU’s national office, including seven years as deputy director of the nonprofit’s Racial Justice Program.
In a tweet, the ACLU called her a “pioneering civil rights attorney.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who recommended her, said she makes history as the first Bangladeshi American and the first Muslim American to serve as a federal judge.
“Nusrat Choudhury is a shining example of the American Dream,” Schumer said in a statement.
“She is the daughter of immigrant parents, a graduate of Columbia, Princeton and Yale Law Schools, and has dedicated her career to making sure that all people can have their voices heard in court.”
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., voted against the appointment, saying in a statement that some of Nusrat’s past statements question his ability to be impartial toward members of the police.
His appointment fulfills a promise by President Joe Biden to emphasize diversity of background, race and gender in his judicial nominations.
