Faiza Ali was born and raised in Brooklyn, the daughter of Pakistani immigrants. 

That personal connection is part of the foundation Ali is using to lead the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, a position she was appointed in February.

What You Need To Know

Faiza Ali leads the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, a position she was appointed in February

She previously served as a top aide to former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and was on the board of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York, along with Mayor Zohran Mamdani

Ali said she supports the mayor’s position on abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency

The Mamdani administration has increased the city’s funding for legal services, including deportation defense, by $32 million for the 2027 fiscal year

“Much of my work has been grounded in the belief that New Yorkers need to be treated with dignity and respect,” she told NY1.

Ali previously served as a top aide to former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and was on the board of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York, along with Mayor Zohran Mamdani. 

She said she supports the mayor’s position on abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

“ICE is a rogue agency that is reigning terror on the very communities MOIA is out there serving and to protect. And so we are supportive of the mayor’s call,” Ali said. 

New York City has been at the epicenter of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, with courtrooms like the one at 26 Federal Plaza serving as the front lines of the battle. Images of families being separated and immigrants arriving for their routine appointments only to later be taken by federal agents have led to questions about the federal government’s tactics.

“There needs to be more accountability. It does raise a lot of questions about what, in fact, is happening behind those closed doors, and we remain very concerned,” Ali said. 

In response, she said the city has placed more emphasis on providing robust services and arming immigrants with “know your rights” materials, as well as establishing a hotline for immediate help.

The Mamdani administration has increased the city’s funding for legal services, including deportation defense, by $32 million for the 2027 fiscal year. 

“It is a very traumatic time for immigrant communities. It’s not just impacting them, it’s impacting their whole families, and so we want to make sure that immigrant communities have the mental health services that they need. That they have the social services that they need. That we’re really providing a holistic support system to immigrants who are facing, what are, unprecedented levels of fear and uncertainty,” Ali said. 

“I will take every opportunity to meet with any official to talk about the experiences immigrant New Yorkers are facing, no matter who that is,” she responded when asked if she would meet with Trump.