Ansari Leads the Most Immigrant-Diverse Office in Congress
A majority-immigrant senior staff sets a new standard for representation in Washington.
WASHINGTON—In a Congress often criticized for lacking diversity, Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., stands out—not just for her progressive policies, but for assembling what is likely the most immigrant-dense senior staff in Capitol Hill history.
Ansari, who represents Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District, has built a leadership team where 75% of senior staffers are women with immigrant backgrounds, either as children of immigrants or immigrants themselves. Across her entire team, 42% have immigrant roots, 50% identify as people of color, and 20% as LGBTQIA. It is the only known congressional office where a majority of senior staffers have immigrant backgrounds, a move Ansari says was both deliberate and natural given the makeup of her district.
“I mean, it came about really from intentionally working to build a team that reflects the district,” Ansari told reporters. “It's a very diverse district where more than 64 languages are spoken. The district is majority Latino, but what's really interesting about it, in addition to that, is the diversity of refugee populations, immigrants from truly all across the world. So it kind of happened naturally. But also intentionally working to find folks who really understood the district.”
Arizona’s 3rd District, which includes parts of Phoenix and surrounding areas, is one of the most diverse in the state. According to U.S. Census data, more than 60% of residents identify as Latino, and large communities of immigrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia have also made the district their home. More than a quarter of residents are foreign-born.
Ansari’s Washington, D.C., and Phoenix offices include staffers with immigrant backgrounds from Eritrea, Mexico, and Iran, among other countries. Her chief of staff, Sarah Ghermay, is the daughter of Eritrean refugees and spent part of her childhood in Ethiopia before fleeing during the 1998 war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Maria Lopez, the district director, is a first-generation American born to working-class Mexican parents. Legislative Director Paniz Rezaeerod was born in Tehran, Iran, and learned English by watching American television.
The diversity within her office, Ansari says, is an asset when it comes to constituent services and policymaking. The district’s significant immigrant population means that casework often involves immigration issues, including visa and citizenship applications, refugee resettlement, and deportation proceedings. Having a staff with firsthand or familial experience navigating these challenges has made the office more effective, she argues.
“Having a team that truly understands the struggles of immigrants and first-generation Americans makes all the difference,” Ansari said. “It’s not just about policy—it’s about trust.”
Ansari’s approach to staffing is a reflection of broader demographic trends in Arizona, a state that has seen its immigrant and Latino populations grow in political influence. In 2022, Latino voter turnout helped secure key Democratic victories, and political analysts predict that the community will continue to be a decisive force in future elections.
For now, Ansari hopes that her office can serve as a model for what representation in government can look like.
“I want to see more offices like this—not just in Congress, but at every level of government,” she said. “Because when our leadership reflects the people we serve, we make better policy, we build stronger communities, and we create a government that truly works for everyone.”
