Alina Habba, a member of Trump’s defense team, recalls the roles that immigrants have adopted in the US.
Former US President Donald Trump was formally charged last week in the “hush money” case. Iraqi-born lawyer Alina Habba, a member of Trump’s defense team, has been back in the spotlight in recent days. Iraqi people were quick to comment on the news about Habba. Trump’s reliance on this lawyer sparked many reactions in Mesopotamia.
According to a Bloomberg news agency report, Habba keeps a framed news article about her accomplishments in defending Trump in her home, signed by the former president and with the words “Alina, you did a great job”. The note is a tribute to Habba’s work. In 2017, Habba successfully settled a lawsuit brought by an intern against Trump for sexual harassment. The intern then sued Trump for defamation after he called her a liar.
Together with other members of his defense team, Habba is fighting a first-of-its-kind judicial battle in US history after Trump became the first American president to formally face impeachment.
Who is Habba?
Alina Habba was born an Iraqi immigrant in the US state of New Jersey and graduated from Lehigh University and Widener University School of Law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The news agency said Habba was “delighted with the confidence of his very high-profile, very controversial client,” adding that Habba described himself as “a very devout Catholic and a true believer in the Trump cause.
As a result of Iraq’s wars and difficult security conditions in recent decades, many people from Mesopotamia have migrated to the region and outside the country, where they have made a place for themselves, and many of them have distinguished themselves in different fields.
US Law
Legal expert Ali al-Tamimi stated that “there is nothing in US law, whether in the constitution or in special laws, that prevents naturalized citizens or foreign nationals from holding government positions, whether in the federal government or the states, as evidenced by the fact that former President Barack Obama is not of American descent.”
Temimi continued: “In the legal profession in the United States, there is no difference whether a person is American or a dual citizen. Even in high security and sovereign positions, they have no reservations. They look at the background, accomplishments and criminality of the person who can get into these positions, and that’s what matters.” The legal expert described Habba as “a graduated, dedicated lawyer who went through a gradual process according to American law. First he was educated, then he practiced in the regular courts, the criminal courts and the supreme courts, and he reached the highest level of legal practice.”
A model for successful Iraqi women
Legal expert Wassan al-Duleymi said that Habba (39) proved her high potential and was added to the list of Iraqi women who proved who the Iraqi woman is and what her potential is. He also said that she proved that she is at the forefront “despite those who try to tarnish the image of the Iraqi woman” and confirmed her role as an outstanding and leader.
Social media platforms and local media in Iraq covered Habba’s news on a large scale, as the news received a lot of interaction and attention.
Roles adopted by migrants
In contrast, political researcher Nabil Jabbar al-Tamimi noted that the prosecution of cases against President Trump “has brought the Iraqi-born lawyer to the forefront with his clear Middle Eastern features”. The irony, Nabil Jabbar pointed out, is that “the major role played by this lawyer reminds us of the responsibilities of immigrants in the US and the racist campaigns they face.”
It is a reminder of Trump’s partial or complete halt of organized immigration campaigns to the US for many countries, notably Iraq and Libya. Meanwhile, the role of migrants, especially lawyers, has been prominent in defending the issues Trump faces personally.
prepared by fikrikadim/ancient idea editors
