In 2018, Rashida Harbi Tlaib (1976– ) was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives for Michigan's 13th Congressional District. The oldest of fourteen children, born in Detroit, Michigan, to Palestinian immigrants, she is proud of her heritage and is focused on changing lives for the better. After graduating from Wayne State University with a bachelor's degree in political science and Western Michigan University's Thomas M. Cooley Law School, she worked as an attorney at the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, where she fought racist emergency managers and abusive state agencies and fought for community benefits agreements that promote equitable development—always taking her battles against injustice and inequality into the community, the legislature, and the courts. She also worked on staff for former State Representative Steve Tobocman. In 2008, when she won her election to become a State Representative, she became first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan Legislature, where she served for three terms.
In July 2019, leaders and people from around the United States and the world came to the congresswoman's defense after President Donald Trump tweeted remarks about her and three other congresswomen of color (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts), saying they should go back and help the "totally broken and crime infested places from which they came" and "you can't leave fast enough." Of the four Congresswomen, all are U.S. citizens and three were born in the United States. In a responding tweet, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California said, "[Trump's] plan to "Make America Great Again" has always been about making America white again. Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power." Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts tweeted that Trump's comment was "vile" and a "racist and xenophobic attack on Democratic congresswomen. This *is* their country.... they should be treated with respect." Rashida responded in a tweet to the president: "Yo @realDonaldTrump, I'm fighting corruption in OUR country. I do it every day when I hold your admin accountable as a U.S. Congresswoman. Detroit taught me how to fight for the communities you continue to degrade & attack. Keep talking, you'll be out of the White House soon."
