New York, NY—Today, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the appointment of Faiza Ali to the position of Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA).
Most recently, Ali served as the First Deputy Chief of Staff of Community Engagement, overseeing the NYC Council’s Community Engagement Division, under the leadership of former NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. She has spent her entire career advocating for and empowering communities of color in New York.
Ali has served in the City Council since 2014, where she deepened relationships between the New York City Council and communities of color across the city. She previously served as the Advocacy & Civic Engagement Director for the Arab American Association of NY, where she led campaigns on criminal justice, immigration reform, language access and policing. Ali was also a key leader in the successful campaign to incorporate two high holy Muslim Holidays into the New York City public school system, making New York City the largest school system in the nation to recognize the holidays of its Muslim students. In 2013, she co-founded the Muslim Democratic Club of NY, the first of its kind in the city, to mobilize community members to be more active in the political process.
Ali is the daughter of Kashmiri-Pakistani immigrants. She earned her B.A. from Pace University.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Faiza Ali’s appointment as MOIA commissioner is a victory for immigrant New Yorkers. As a born and bred New Yorker, who grew up in an immigrant family and neighborhood in Brooklyn, she intimately understands the needs and experiences of our communities. Throughout her career, she has empowered hard-working New Yorkers of all faiths and cultures by connecting them to opportunities and services – while advancing policy changes that ensure every family the opportunity to thrive. In the New York City Council, Ali worked tirelessly to ensure that immigrants had access to critical services, from legal services to quality education, and that their basic needs were met. We are heartened by Mayor Mamdani’s appointment of Ali and look forward to working with her to advance the health and well-being of all immigrant New Yorkers now and into the future.”