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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Through the Prism of National Security: Major Immigration Policy and Program Changes in the Decade since 9/11
Since 9/11, U.S. immigration has been reshaped around national security, with the creation of DHS, expanded data sharing, nationality-based screening, and higher enforcement.
Supreme Court Upholds Legal Arizona Workers Act with Limited Implications for Other State Immigration Laws
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Arizona's employer-sanctions law, but analysts suggest the ruling may not impact rulings on SB 1070-style enforcement measures.
DHS Announces End to Controversial Post-9/11 Immigrant Registration and Tracking Program
The Obama administration in 2011 ended a post-9/11 registration program that targeted nationals of 25 mostly Muslim-majority countries.
Appeals Court Rules against Arizona Law as Immigration Measures Lose Steam in State Legislatures
As a U.S. appeals court blocked key SB 1070 provisions in 2011, state legislatures in multiple states abandoned similar enforcement bills.
Unanswered Questions Surround ICE's Secure Communities Program
The U.S. Secure Communities program operated in 1,080 jurisdictions in 2011.
Quiet Demise of the Virtual Fence
After more than $1 billion in funding, the United States’ virtual border fence program was cancelled in January 2011.
States Assert New Activist Immigration Role in Altered Political Landscape
The 2010 U.S. elections spurred more than 20 states to pursue efforts modeled after Arizona’s SB 1070 and a coordinated push to challenge birthright citizenship.
Delegation and Divergence: 287(g) State and Local Immigration Enforcement
A study of the 287(g) program found that local police often used their delegated immigration powers to hold people for minor offenses, raising concerns about racial profiling.
Senate Blocks Passage of DREAM Act by Five Votes
The U.S. Senate narrowly blocked the DREAM Act on December 18, 2010, ending any chance of enactment before the 111th Congress closed.
DREAM Act Passes in the House during Lame-Duck Session, But Faces Uphill Battle in Senate
The U.S. House passed the DREAM Act in December 2010, but MPI estimated just 755,000 of 1.9 million eligible youth would be likely to gain lawful permanent residence.