Senate confirms Nusrat Choudhury as first Muslim female federal judge despite narrow opposition

Nusrat Choudhury, a civil rights lawyer and legal director of the ACLU of Illinois, was confirmed as the first Muslim female federal judge in US history.
Choudhury was confirmed 50-49 along party lines and will serve in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Choudhury's confirmation drew praise from civil rights groups but opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin over her views on criminal justice reform.
President Biden has pledged to diversify the federal judiciary, and Choudhury is the first of three Muslim Americans he has nominated to the federal bench so far.
Choudhury's confirmation is a historic milestone, as only 12 of the more than 1,300 sitting federal judges are Muslim.