A Dallas attorney and beauty salon entrepreneur was promoted to a State Department role overseeing passport and visa operations for the office that assists Americans in distress abroad.
The Senate confirmed Mora Namdar on Dec. 18 as assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Consular Affairs. The appointment places her at the center of the Trump administration’s immigration and national security agenda as the White House uses entry restrictions as a foreign policy tool.
“Namdar was sworn in this week to implement President Trump’s priorities, including the advancement of policies that make America safer, stronger and more prosperous,” the consular affairs office said in an X post Thursday.
Namdar, 39, previously served in the same office on an acting basis during Trump’s first term and more recently held State Department roles tied to foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa, according to her bio on the department’s website.
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In prepared testimony for her October Senate confirmation hearing, she said visa decisions are a national security matter and consular officers should have authority to deny or revoke visas when individuals violate their terms or undermine U.S. foreign policy.
She said she would prioritize protecting Americans overseas and strengthening the integrity of the immigration system, echoing the approach laid out by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“If confirmed,” Namdar told senators before her appointment, “I will ensure that your inquiries are met with transparency, responsiveness and a spirit of shared service to the American people.”
Outside of the public sector, Namdar ran a law firm working out of Dallas and Washington. The firm is not an active practice as she serves in the government, its website states.
Namdar is also known for launching BAM, a beauty bar concept with locations listed in Dallas, Fort Worth and Plano. A D Magazine story in 2017 identified her as the founder behind the West Village location in Dallas.
“From picking out the tiles to the flower wall, it was a labor of love,” she told the magazine.
She was drawn to foreign affairs as a teenager. In 2002, as a high school sophomore at Plano’s Shepton High School, she told The Dallas Morning News that world history was among her favorite classes. Namdar said the two people she’d most like to meet were Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright, both former secretaries of state.
She earned a law degree from American University, a master’s in international affairs from American University, and undergraduate degrees in political science and international affairs from Southern Methodist University. She also studied at Oxford University in England.
In her prepared remarks before the Senate, Namdar said she would help make the 2026 FIFA World Cup the “greatest sporting event in history,” which she called one of Trump’s priorities. North Texas will host games as part of the competition.
Bio: Mora NamdarCurrent role: Assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, U.S. State Department.Confirmation: Appointed by President Donald Trump and approved by the United States Senate.Previous post: Senior bureau official, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, May to December 2025.Portfolio: Led U.S. policy across the Middle East and North Africa, including Gaza policy work, regional stabilization, countering Iran, human rights, investment promotion, strategic messaging and internet freedom.Private sector: Founded and ran a law practice, worked for a Fortune 500 company, launched and operated multiple businesses, including beauty salons in the Dallas area.Background: Native Texan, child of Iranian immigrants, fluent in Farsi.Education: Law degree, American University; master’s in international affairs, American University; and undergraduate degrees in political science and international affairs from SMU.
SOURCES: U.S. State Department, Dallas Morning News research