Biden Administration

Senate Confirms Zahid Quraishi as 1st Muslim American Federal Judge in US History

The son of Pakistani immigrants, Quraishi was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey

Zahid Quraishi, nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey, is sworn in to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on pending judicial nominations on Capitol Hill, April 28, 2021 in Washington, DC. The committee is holding the hearing on pending judicial nominations.
Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images

The Senate on Thursday voted 81-16 to confirm Zahid Quraishi as U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey, making him the first Muslim American federal judge in the country's history.

Qurashi will be "the first Muslim American to serve as an Article III judge in our history," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote.

The son of Pakistani immigrants, Quraishi was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, where he earned his law degree from Rutgers Law School. 

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.

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