NYC Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced the appointments of two seasoned advocates to key leadership roles. Ana María Archila will serve as Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs, while Faiza Ali has been named Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA).
The appointments, effective immediately, bring two prominent figures from the city’s grassroots organizing and legislative spheres into the upper echelons of City Hall.
Ana María Archila, a Colombian-born immigrant and former co-director of the New York Working Families Party, takes the helm of the city’s diplomatic arm. As Commissioner of International Affairs, she will serve as the primary liaison between the City of New York, the United Nations, and the U.S. State Department.
“New York City has always belonged to the world,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Ana María brings moral clarity and a deep commitment to the people who keep this city running. She will ensure that the world continues to be welcome in the city we all call home.”
Archila’s background is rooted in over 20 years of advocacy; she co-founded Make the Road New York. She stated her intention to use the office to address transnational challenges such as inequality and climate change.
“In New York City, international relationships are built at the United Nations and across the five boroughs,” Archila said.
Leading the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs is Faiza Ali, the daughter of Pakistani immigrants and a veteran of the New York City Council. Ali previously served as the Speaker’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Community Engagement and has a long history of organizing within Muslim and Arab American communities.
“Faiza understands firsthand the promise and the precarity that define the immigrant experience in New York,” Mayor Mamdani noted, emphasizing that his administration will “not equivocate” in protecting the city’s immigrant population.
The appointments have been met with widespread praise from the city’s advocacy community. Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, described the selections as a “testament to careers dedicated to bridging community needs with policy.”
Leaders from the Hispanic Federation, the Arab American Association of NY, and the Street Vendor Project also issued statements supporting the new commissioners, citing their deep roots in community organizing as a vital asset for their respective roles.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
