City's Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Bitta Mostofi Ends Tenure

Bitta Mostofi, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, announced that she would be leaving the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio. Her last day is set to be May 7.

Mostofi came into office in 2018, at the same the Trump administration's family separation policy was coming into full  view. She said it was "devastating" to confront the full force of the federal immigration system, which she said was designed to do "harm as opposed to good."

"It was so easy and in so many ways possible for the Trump administration to advance this white nationalist agenda," she said.

Nonetheless she saw her role as bridge-builder, quietly working with federal officials to mitigate the administration's most damaging policies.

Among immigrant rights advocates, Mostofi has many supporters. 

Theo Oshiro, the co-executive director of Make the Road New York, said Mostofi continued to encourage immigrants to apply for benefits despite the Trump administration's notorious public charge rule, which has since been repealed.

"The fact that a commissioner was coming into a space eased a lot of fears in our communities, and in those kinds of moments we appreciated Bitta's leadership."

Mostofi has not announced her next career move.