Muzaffar Chishti
Muzaffar Chishti, a lawyer, is an MPI Senior Fellow and Director of the MPI office at New York University School of Law. His work focuses on U.S. immigration policy at the federal, state, and local levels; the intersection of labor and immigration law; immigration enforcement; civil liberties; and immigrant integration.
Prior to joining MPI, Mr. Chishti was Director of the Immigration Project of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial & Textile Employees (UNITE).
Mr. Chishti serves on the board of the New York Immigration Coalition. He has served as Chairman of the Boards of Directors of the National Immigration Forum and the National Immigration Law Center, as a member of the American Bar Association’s Coordinating Committee on Immigration, and on the board of the Asian American Federation.
Mr. Chishti has testified extensively on immigration policy issues before Congress and is frequently quoted in the media. In 1992, as part of a U.S. team, he assisted the Russian Parliament in drafting its legislation on forced migrants and refugees. In 2025, he received the Outstanding American by Choice recognition from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur Jaddou; he is also a 1995 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and 1994 recipient of the New York State Governor's Award for Outstanding Asian Americans.
Mr. Chishti was educated at St. Stephen's College, Delhi; the University of Delhi; Cornell Law School; and the Columbia School of International Affairs.
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Explore Content by Muzaffar Chishti
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Sequester Affects Immigration Enforcement — and Invites Attention to Detention Policy
When the U.S. sequester forced the release of 2,228 immigration detainees, the political fallout spotlighted the high cost and contested logic of U.S. immigration detention.
Immigration Reform Returns to Center Stage of U.S. Politics
For the first time since 2007, bipartisan U.S. immigration reform proposals put legalization for unauthorized immigrants on the table.
New DHS Rule Will Help Expedite Permanent Residence for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens
A 2013 regulation lets immediate relatives of U.S. citizens apply for provisional unlawful presence waivers from within the United States.
Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery
The United States has built a formidable immigration enforcement system, spending nearly $187 billion since 1986—more than on all other principal federal criminal law enforcement combined.
Deferred Action Program Revives Debate over Driver’s Licenses for Unauthorized Immigrants
DACA's rollout split U.S. states on driver's licenses for unauthorized immigrants, while a years-long decline in such policies showed signs of reversing.
U.S. Election Realigns Stars for Immigration Reform, But Significant Hurdles Remain
President Barack Obama's reelection energized bipartisan support for immigration reform that could include legalization for up to 11 million unauthorized immigrants.
Same-Sex Partners Steadily Gain Recognition in Immigration Benefits
U.S. federal law blocked immigration benefits for same-sex couples in 2012, even as the Obama administration issued formal workarounds.
Renouncing U.S. Citizenship: A New Trend?
Renunciations of U.S. citizenship rose from fewer than 400 annually before 2009 to 1,780 in 2011, primarily amid concerns about scaled-up tax enforcement.
Key Factors, Unresolved Issues in New Deferred Action Program for Immigrant Youth Will Determine Its Success
As DACA launched in August 2012, unresolved questions threatened to determine the program's reach and success.
