Samira Asma-Sadeque Title: Legal Writer, Crime Education: Columbia University , Grinnell College Expertise: Crime, immigration, mental health, politics Samira Asma-Sadeque is a New York-based Bangladeshi journalist and poet covering a wide range of issues from crime, immigration, trauma and disaster reporting to mental health (but will happily write about dog pageants once in a while). Before joining PEOPLE's Crime team as a legal writer, she reported on the 2020 elections, COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Ida among other topics for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Guardian US. Her poetry appears in the HBO Series "Take Out with Lisa Ling," ALL Arts TV's "First Twenty" and the Poetry Foundation. Experience Samira Asma-Sadeque began her journalism career more than 15 years ago, straight out of high-school, starting at a local Bangladeshi magazine. While in college, she covered the U.S. Capitol for Talk Radio News in Washington, D.C. She went on to report out of Bangladesh on several issues such as disaster reporting, gender, LGBTQ and politics, among other topics, before moving to New York. She graduated from Columbia University's School of Journalism in 2017. Education Columbia University, Grinnell College About PEOPLE PEOPLE, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, delivers the most trustworthy celebrity news and captivating human interest stories, connecting you to the pulse of American culture. Since our first issue hit stands in 1974, we have been striving to tell compelling stories about the people behind the issues, as opposed to just the issues themselves. We are your everyday escape, taking you inside the lives of intriguing stars, newsmakers, up-and-comers and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We serve and delight you by providing ideas about beauty, food and style through the lens of the people influencing the trends. And we are a force for good by telling stories of hope, optimism and kindness that drive conversation and inspire action. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.