Rashida Tlaib

Rashida Tlaib
Born	Rashida Harbi 24 7, 1976
Birthplace	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, lawyer
Known for	First Palestinian American woman in the U.S. Congress; member of "The Squad"
Education	Wayne State University (BA) Thomas M. Cooley Law School (JD)
Children	2
Website	[tlaib.house.gov Official site]

Rashida Harbi Tlaib (born July 24, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as a U.S. representative from Michigan since January 2019. She currently represents Michigan's 12th congressional district, having previously represented the state's 13th congressional district from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Tlaib is the first Palestinian American woman to serve in the United States Congress and was, alongside Ilhan Omar, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Born to working-class Palestinian immigrant parents in Detroit, Tlaib rose from modest beginnings to become a state legislator and later a member of Congress known for progressive policy positions and outspoken criticism of both the Trump and Biden administrations. She is a member of The Squad, an informal group of left-leaning U.S. representatives, and is also affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America. Throughout her congressional tenure, Tlaib has advocated for progressive causes including abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, expanding social programs, and ending U.S. military aid to Israel.

Early Life

Rashida Harbi was born on July 24, 1976, in Detroit, Michigan, to Palestinian immigrant parents. She is the eldest of 14 children in her family, which grew up in a working-class household in Detroit. Her parents had emigrated from the Palestinian territories and settled in Detroit, where her father worked at a Ford Motor Company plant.

Growing up as the oldest child in a large immigrant family shaped Tlaib's worldview and later her approach to politics. She attended Southwestern High School in Detroit, graduating in 1994. Tlaib's upbringing in a densely populated, predominantly working-class neighborhood in southwest Detroit exposed her to the economic and social challenges facing immigrant and low-income communities, themes that would later define much of her political career.

Her Palestinian heritage remained a central part of her identity throughout her life. Tlaib has spoken publicly about growing up in a Palestinian American household and the influence that her family's experiences had on her political perspectives, particularly regarding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Education

Tlaib enrolled at Wayne State University in Detroit, where she studied political science. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Wayne State in 1998. She subsequently pursued a legal education at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 2004. Tlaib was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2007, enabling her to practice law in the state.

Career

Michigan State Legislature

Tlaib's political career began in 2004, when she served as an intern for Michigan State Representative Steve Tobocman. When Tobocman became the majority floor leader in 2007, he hired Tlaib to his legislative staff. Tobocman subsequently encouraged her to run for his seat when he was term-limited out of office.

Tlaib ran for the seat and won the 2008 election, becoming the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan state legislature. She represented the 6th district in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2009 to 2012 and the 12th district from 2013 to 2014, following redistricting. Her successor in the Michigan House was Stephanie Chang.

During her time in the state legislature, Tlaib focused on issues affecting her working-class constituents in southwest Detroit, including environmental justice, workers' rights, and immigrant protections. Her tenure in the Michigan House provided her with legislative experience and a political base that would later serve as the foundation for her congressional campaign.

In 2016, during the presidential campaign, Tlaib drew national attention when she confronted then-candidate Donald Trump during a speech he delivered in Detroit.

2018 Congressional Campaign

In February 2018, Tlaib announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Michigan's 13th congressional district, a heavily Democratic district encompassing parts of Detroit and its western suburbs. The seat had become open when longtime incumbent John Conyers resigned amid sexual harassment allegations in late 2017.

The race attracted considerable attention as multiple candidates sought the Democratic nomination, which in the overwhelmingly Democratic district was tantamount to winning the general election. Tlaib's campaign fundraising was part of a competitive primary field that drew scrutiny from local and national media.

Tlaib won the Democratic primary election on August 7, 2018, securing the nomination in a crowded field. A separate special primary was also held for the remainder of Conyers' unexpired term, which was won by Brenda Jones.

Tlaib's primary victory, combined with the heavily Democratic nature of the district, made her election in November 2018 a near certainty. Running unopposed in the general election, she won the seat and became, alongside Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, one of the first two Muslim women elected to the U.S. Congress. She was also recognized as the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress. Her election drew significant national and international media attention as part of a historic class of newly elected members that included a record number of women and people of color.

Tlaib's campaign and subsequent election were also notable for her affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America. She and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York became the first female members of DSA to serve in Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives

First Term (2019–2021)

Tlaib was sworn into office on January 3, 2019. On her first day in Congress, she attracted widespread media coverage when she used profane language in calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump during an event with supporters. Speaking to a crowd, Tlaib said Democrats would "impeach the motherf***er," a remark that generated both praise from progressives and criticism from both Republicans and some members of her own party.

As a member of Congress, Tlaib quickly established herself as one of the most progressive voices in the Democratic caucus. She became a prominent member of The Squad, an informal group of progressive Democratic representatives that also included Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, and Ayanna Pressley. The group became known for advocating left-wing policy positions and challenging both Republican policies and the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party.

Tlaib was a vocal advocate for the impeachment of President Trump and voted in favor of both articles of impeachment in December 2019, which charged the president with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his dealings with Ukraine. She also voted for Trump's second impeachment in January 2021, following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Among her policy positions, Tlaib has argued in favor of abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a stance that placed her on the progressive wing of the Democratic Party on immigration issues. She has also advocated for a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and other progressive economic and environmental policies.

Israel–Palestine Positions

Tlaib's positions on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have been among the most prominent and contentious aspects of her political career. As a Palestinian American with family members living in the West Bank, the issue carries deep personal significance for her.

Tlaib has described Israel as an apartheid state and has called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel. She supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel, and has advocated for a one-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict—a position that places her outside the mainstream of U.S. foreign policy consensus, which has traditionally supported a two-state solution.

Her statements on Israel have drawn both support from progressive and pro-Palestinian groups and sharp criticism from pro-Israel organizations and many of her congressional colleagues. Jewish American organizations have at times accused Tlaib of invoking antisemitic tropes, particularly in relation to comments about dual loyalty, charges that Tlaib has rejected.

Following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas, Tlaib's public statements drew intense scrutiny. On November 7, 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to censure Tlaib in response to her public statements following the attacks. The censure resolution was one of only a handful of such actions taken against sitting members of Congress in modern history. Tlaib has continued to criticize U.S. support for Israel's military operations in the Gaza war.

In November 2025, Tlaib introduced House Resolution 876, a resolution that would formally recognize what she described as the "genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza," a measure co-sponsored by 20 other members of Congress. In February 2026, Tlaib condemned the killing of a Palestinian-American citizen in the West Bank by Israeli forces, stating that "killings like this will keep happening until we stop funding genocide and apartheid."

Legislative Work (2023–present)

Following redistricting, Tlaib has represented Michigan's 12th congressional district since 2023. She has continued to pursue progressive legislation on a range of domestic policy issues.

In February 2026, Tlaib introduced legislation aimed at expanding the Head Start program to reach approximately 11 million eligible children from low-income families nationwide. The bill was introduced at a time when the program faced funding challenges under the Trump administration.

Also in February 2026, Tlaib introduced a resolution defending the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, in response to what she characterized as threats to birthright citizenship and equal protection guarantees.

Tlaib has also been involved in infrastructure and trade issues affecting her district. In February 2026, she escalated an investigation into lobbying efforts by Ambassador Bridge owner Matthew Moroun related to a threat by President Trump regarding the bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario. Tlaib, working alongside Ranking Member Robert Garcia of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, pressed for transparency regarding Moroun's lobbying activities to block construction of a new U.S.–Canada bridge.

Personal Life

Tlaib was born Rashida Harbi to Palestinian immigrant parents in Detroit. She married Fayez Tlaib, and the couple had two sons together. The marriage later ended in divorce.

Tlaib has been open about her Palestinian heritage and its influence on her personal and political life. She has family members living in the West Bank, and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict has remained a deeply personal issue for her throughout her career.

During the 2018 campaign, the Michigan Daily profiled Tlaib's daily life as a candidate, documenting the energy and demands of running as a potential first Muslim congresswoman.

Recognition

Tlaib's election to Congress in 2018 was recognized as a historic milestone. She became the first Palestinian American woman and one of the first two Muslim women to serve in the United States Congress, alongside Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Her victory was covered extensively by national and international media outlets as part of a broader narrative about increasing diversity in American politics.

Her election was also noted as significant within the Arab American community. The Arab American News covered her political career from its early stages in Michigan state politics.

As a member of The Squad, Tlaib has been the subject of extensive media coverage and political commentary. The group's members have been both celebrated by progressive activists and criticized by political opponents. Tlaib's outspoken positions on issues ranging from impeachment to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have kept her in the national spotlight throughout her congressional tenure.

The November 2023 censure by the House of Representatives, while a formal rebuke, also drew attention to Tlaib's role as one of the most prominent critics of U.S. policy toward Israel in Congress. The censure was only one of a small number imposed on sitting members of Congress in modern legislative history.

Tlaib's campaign finance records are publicly available through the Federal Election Commission.

Legacy

Tlaib's place in American political history is defined in part by the barriers she broke upon her election in 2018. As the first Palestinian American woman in Congress and one of the first two Muslim women elected to that body, her election represented a significant expansion of the demographic diversity of the U.S. legislature. Her presence in Congress has been cited as an inspiration for Arab American, Muslim American, and Palestinian American communities seeking political representation.

As a member of The Squad and an affiliate of the Democratic Socialists of America, Tlaib has been part of a broader shift within the Democratic Party toward more progressive policy positions. Her advocacy for issues such as Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, abolishing ICE, and ending U.S. military aid to Israel has contributed to ongoing debates within the party about its ideological direction.

Tlaib's vocal criticism of Israel and her support for the BDS movement have made her one of the most prominent voices in Congress challenging the traditional bipartisan consensus on U.S.–Israel relations. Her censure in 2023 underscored the intensity of the political divisions surrounding these issues in American politics. Regardless of one's position on these matters, Tlaib's willingness to raise them in Congress has contributed to a broader public discourse about U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

At the domestic level, Tlaib's legislative work has focused on expanding social programs, protecting constitutional rights, and addressing infrastructure issues in her Detroit-area district. Her 2026 legislation to expand Head Start and her advocacy regarding the Ambassador Bridge reflect a continued focus on the bread-and-butter concerns of her constituents alongside her higher-profile national and international positions.