Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Nov 20, 2025

Senate confirms Zahid Quraishi as first Muslim federal judge in U.S. history

Senate confirms Zahid Quraishi as first Muslim federal judge in U.S. history

The Senate on Thursday approved the historic nomination of Judge Zahid Quraishi to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, making him the nation's first Muslim-American federal judge.
Quraishi received bipartisan backing from the upper chamber with its 81 to 16 vote to confirm him to the federal court in Trenton. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination with bipartisan support last week.

Quraishi has served as a U.S. magistrate judge since 2019 and, before his appointment, was a partner at Riker Danzig. He also worked as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey for five years and as assistant chief counsel at the Department of Homeland Security. Quraishi served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps and deployed to Iraq in 2004 and 2006.

Mr. Biden announced Quraishi as part of his first group of judicial nominees at the end of March, which included several picks, him included, who would make history if confirmed by the Senate. The upper chamber began this week approving Mr. Biden's candidates to the federal bench with the confirmations of Julien Neals to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey and Regina Rodriguez to the federal District Court in Colorado.

The Senate also advanced the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, considered the nation's second most powerful court. Jackson is widely considered to be a frontrunner for the Supreme Court if a vacancy were to arise. Progressive groups have been pressuring Justice Stephen Breyer, the oldest member of the court's liberal bloc, to retire and allow Mr. Biden to name a successor.

Mr. Biden has pledged to name judges to the U.S. courts who are diverse both in their backgrounds and professional experience. In addition to Quraishi's history-making confirmation, Judge Florence Pan would be the first Asian-American woman on the district court in D.C. if confirmed, and Judge Lydia Griggsby would be the first woman of color to serve as a federal judge in Maryland if her nomination is approved by the Senate.

The president has also included in his judicial nominations candidates who have worked as public defenders, considered by legal groups to be underrepresented on the federal bench.

There are more than 80 current vacancies on the U.S. district and appellate courts, and another 30 seats will open in the coming weeks and months. Mr. Biden has announced more than a dozen nominees to the federal courts and said Tuesday he is on track to have confirmed the most judges by July of the first year of a president's first term in more than 50 years.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday pledged the Democratic-led Senate "will swiftly and consistently confirm" Mr. Biden's nominees to the federal bench, "bringing balance, experience and diversity back to the judiciary."

The focus from Democrats on judicial appointments follows the unwavering commitment from Senate Republicans across former President Donald Trump's only term to approve his nominees to the federal courts.

In all, the GOP-controlled Senate confirmed more than 230 of Mr. Trump's picks to the nation's trial and appellate courts, as well as three of his nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, reshaping the federal judiciary.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Ronaldo Joins Trump and Saudi Crown Prince’s Gala Amid U.S.–Gulf Tech and Investment Surge
U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum Sees U.S. Corporate Titans and Saudi Royalty Forge Billion-Dollar Ties
Elon Musk’s xAI to Deploy 500-Megawatt Saudi Data Centre with State-backed Partner HUMAIN
U.S. Clears Export of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi Arabia and UAE Amid Strategic Tech Partnership
xAI Selects Saudi Data-Centre as First Customer of Nvidia-Backed Humain Project
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
President Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington Amid Strategic Deal Talks
Saudi Crown Prince to Press Trump for Direct U.S. Role in Ending Sudan War
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince: Five Key Takeaways from the White House Meeting
Trump Firmly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Murder Amid Washington Visit
Trump Backs Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing Amid White House Visit
Trump Publicly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing During Washington Visit
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
Saudi Arabia’s Solar Surge Signals Unlikely Shift in Global Oil Powerhouse
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Letter from Iranian President Ahead of U.S. Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Begins Washington Visit to Cement Long-Term U.S. Alliance
Saudi Crown Prince Meets Trump in Washington to Deepen Defence, AI and Nuclear Ties
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Mining Strategy to Build a New Economic Pillar
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Arrives in Washington to Reset U.S.–Saudi Strategic Alliance
Saudi-Israeli Normalisation Deal Looms, But Riyadh Insists on Proceeding After Israeli Elections
Saudis Prioritise US Defence Pact and AI Deals, While Israel Normalisation Takes Back Seat
Saudi Crown Prince’s Washington Visit Aims to Advance Defence, AI and Nuclear Cooperation
Saudi Delegation Strengthens EU–MENA Security Cooperation in Lisbon
Saudi Arabia’s Fossil-Fuel Dominance Powers Global Climate Blockade
Trump Organization Engages Saudi Government-Owned Real-Estate Deal Amid White House Visit
Trump Organization Nears Billion-Dollar Saudi Real Estate Deal Amid White House Diplomacy
Israel Presses U.S. to Tie Saudi F-35 Sale to Formal Normalisation
What We Know Now: Donald Trump’s Financial Ties to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Defence Wish List for Washington: From AI Drones to Nuclear Umbrella
Analysis Shows China, Saudi Arabia and UAE among Major Recipients of Climate Finance Loans
Why a Full Saudi–Israel Normalisation Deal Eludes Trump’s Reach
Trump Presses Saudi Arabia to Normalise Ties with Israel as MBS Prepares for White House Visit
US-Saudi Summit Set for November 18 Seeks Defence Pact and Israel Normalisation Momentum
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Visits Saudi Arabia Amid Potential Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Cristiano Ronaldo Embraces Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup Vision with Key Role
Saudi Arabia’s Execution Campaign Escalates as Crown Prince Readies U.S. Visit
Trump Unveils Middle East Reset: Syria Re-engaged, Saudi Ties Amplified
Saudi Arabia to Build Future Cities Designed with Tourists in Mind, Says Tourism Minister
Saudi Arabia Advances Regulated Stablecoin Plans with Global Crypto Exchange Support
Saudi Arabia Maintains Palestinian State Condition Ahead of Possible Israel Ties
Chinese Steel Exports Surge 41% to Saudi Arabia as Mills Pivot Amid Global Trade Curbs
Saudi Arabia’s Biban Forum 2025 Secures Over US$10 Billion in Deals Amid Global SME Drive
Saudi Arabia Sets Pre-Conditions for Israel Normalisation Ahead of Trump Visit
MrBeast’s ‘Beast Land’ Arrives in Riyadh as Part of Riyadh Season 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Asserts Saudi Pro League Outperforms Ligue 1 Amid Scoring Feats
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
Saudi Arabia Pauses Major Stretch of ‘The Line’ Megacity Amid Budget Re-Prioritisation
Saudi Arabia Launches Instant e-Visa Platform for Over 60 Countries
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Saudi Crown Prince to Visit Trump at White House on November Eighteenth
×