Rki.news
Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK), February 19 — Faiza Ali, a Kashmir-origin American, has been appointed Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs in New York City, marking a significant achievement for Pakistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir in the United States.
The appointment was made by New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani, who previously served alongside Faiza Ali on the board of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York. Faiza Ali has previously held the position of First Deputy Chief of Staff to former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, becoming the first Muslim American woman to occupy that role, and played a key role in land use and budget negotiations.
Faiza Ali has also served as advocacy director for the Arab American Association of New York and as community affairs director for the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The daughter of Kashmiri refugees, she was raised in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn, while her family originates from Chawala village in Charhui tehsil, Azad Kashmir. She is also the cousin of Sagheer Khan, president of the US-based Kashmiri American Alliance.
In her statement, Faiza Ali emphasized her top priority will be to strengthen protections for migrant communities, improve access to legal and linguistic services, and provide real opportunities for stability at a time when refugees face extraordinary challenges.
Mayor Mamdani noted that under Faiza Ali’s leadership, immigrants in New York City will have easier access to legal services, education, and essential resources. Murad Ouda, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, described her appointment as a victory for New York immigrants, highlighting her deep understanding of immigrant challenges.
Faiza Ali holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Pace University. Her appointment has been welcomed both in her hometown of Mirpur and across communities in the United States, marking a milestone for the Kashmiri diaspora and immigrant advocacy.