In a historic moment, Nusrat Choudhury has been confirmed as a federal judge by the US Senate, becoming the first Muslim woman and the first Bangladeshi American to join the federal judicial bench. The Democrat-led Senate narrowly passed the vote along party lines.
President Joe Biden nominated Choudhury, a civil rights attorney, in January 2022 as part of his commitment to diversifying the nation’s courts. Choudhury’s appointment follows the confirmation of Zahid Quraishi in 2021, who became the first Muslim American federal judge in US history.
Choudhury will serve on the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, a court known for handling significant cases. Currently, the court is handling the indictment of New York GOP Rep. George Santos related to fraud and money laundering.
Choudhury currently holds the position of legal director for the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), where she has been involved in advocating for police reform and challenging discriminatory practices. Her work includes litigating against the stop-and-frisk policy of the Milwaukee Police Department and the surveillance practices of the New York Police Department following the 9/11 attacks, which have been criticized for targeting Muslim Americans.
ACLU’s executive director, Anthony Romero, praised Choudhury’s track record in advancing equal justice and protecting civil liberties. He described her confirmation as a significant milestone in recognizing her dedication to civil rights.
However, Choudhury’s focus on police reform led Democratic Senator Joe Manchin to join Republicans in opposing her nomination. Senator Manchin expressed concerns about Choudhury’s ability to remain unbiased towards the work of law enforcement.
Choudhury’s confirmation as the country’s second Muslim American federal judge sheds light on the lack of diversity in the federal judiciary, both in terms of race and ethnicity, as well as gender. A CNN review of data from the Federal Judicial Center in 2022 revealed that while diversity among federal judges has been slowly increasing, it still does not reflect the demographics of the nation. The majority of serving judges are White and male, while women and non-White groups continue to be underrepresented.