Donald Trump has appointed Mora Namdar as Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, placing her in charge of US passport issuance and visa approvals. The role gives Namdar significant authority over who is allowed to enter or remain in the United States, at a time when immigration and travel rules are again a central focus of the administration. While she has prior experience in government, the appointment has attracted attention because Namdar is also the owner of a chain of beauty salons in Texas, an unusual background for one of the State Department’s most powerful operational posts.
Who is Mora Namdar
Mora Namdar is a US attorney and government official who is the daughter of Iranian immigrants and a native of Texas. She is fluent in Persian and has spent years working on US foreign policy, particularly issues related to the Middle East and North Africa. This is not her first time in the consular role. Namdar previously served as acting Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs in 2020 during Trump’s first term, giving her direct experience overseeing visas and passports.Before her latest appointment, she held senior positions within the State Department, including work in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, and served in legal and compliance roles at the US Agency for Global Media. Alongside her public service career, she founded and ran her own law firm. In a recent statement, Namdar indicated that the firm is no longer operating in an active capacity, as she focuses fully on her government role.
The beauty salon business
Outside Washington, Namdar is also known as the owner of a mini-chain of beauty salons operating under the name Bam in Texas. The salons offer blowouts, professional makeup services, hair extensions and styling for events. In past interviews, Namdar described the brand as “fun and cheeky” and said the original salon was inspired by friends asking her to do their makeup for weddings and special occasions. She has spoken about wanting to treat beauty and styling as a form of art rather than a routine service.For years, she balanced running the salons with her legal and government work, a combination that has now become a focal point of public discussion following her appointment.
A powerful role in US immigration policy
As Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Namdar oversees one of the most influential bureaus in the State Department. The office handles millions of passport applications annually and plays a central role in deciding who receives, keeps or loses a US visa. Consular officers under her leadership have the authority to deny or revoke visas on grounds ranging from security concerns to foreign policy considerations.In Senate testimony, Namdar has described visa adjudication as a critical national security function, arguing that the US must retain broad discretion to refuse entry to individuals seen as undermining American interests.
Links to Project 2025
Namdar has also been linked to Project 2025, a wide-ranging conservative agenda that has influenced Trump’s second term. She contributed to the project by authoring a chapter focused on the US Agency for Global Media, in which she accused the organisation of mismanagement and security risks. She contributed to the project by authoring a section critical of the US Agency for Global Media, accusing it of mismanagement and security risks and calling for major reform or even closure.Although Trump sought to distance himself from Project 2025 during the campaign, many contributors to the initiative have since been appointed to senior roles across the administration, reinforcing the idea that personnel choices are a key mechanism for implementing its priorities. Go to Source
