The US Senate on Thursday narrowly confirmed civil rights lawyer Nusrat Choudhury to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, making her the first Bangladeshi-American and female Muslim federal judge in the United States.

Choudhury, the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois, was confirmed on a 50-49 vote. She will also be the first Bangladeshi-American federal judge.

Omar Farah, executive director of the US-based group Muslim Advocacy, confirming the development said that Today’s long-awaited vote to elevate Nusrat Choudhury to the federal bench is historic for many reasons.

“Ms Choudhury has devoted her career to ensuring that all people are treated fairly by our legal system,” Farah said. “Her confirmation today means that someone who has worked in the civil rights trenches and confronted barriers to justice that exist in too many communities will be making critical decisions as a federal judge.”