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. He is a 1994 recipient of the New York State Governor's Award for Outstanding Asian Americans and a 1995 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
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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Trump Administration Bends U.S. Government in Extraordinary Ways towards Aim of Mass Deportations
The Trump administration has bent virtually every arm of the U.S. government toward mass deportations, but early results reveal a gap between ambition and available resources.
With “Shock and Awe,” the Second Trump Term Opens with a Bid to Strongly Reshape Immigration
The Trump administration's second term opened with an unprecedented sweep of executive actions focused on mass deportations and border shutdowns, although hurdles await.
Jimmy Carter and Immigration: A Wide-Ranging Legacy That Remains Relevant Today
The passing of the nation’s 39th president has sparked numerous assessments of the Carter presidency, yet few have focused on the wide-ranging legacy that Jimmy Carter left in the immigration realm. The Carter presidency illustrates the long history of authorities that remain in use today, including parole and creation of lawful pathways to admit people in orderly ways, and the persistent roots of issues such as spontaneous migration from the Caribbean.
The Biden Legacy on Immigration: A Complex Picture
What was the Biden record on border management, legal immigration, refugee resettlement, and other immigration aspects? Speakers assessed the Biden legacy and discussed MPI's analysis of the administration’s actions on immigration.
Biden’s Mixed Immigration Legacy: Border Challenges Overshadowed Modernization Advances
The Biden presidency combined historic highs in legal admissions and naturalizations with record border arrivals, overwhelmed agencies, and political damage.
How the Rebuilt U.S. System Resettled the Most Refugees in 30 Years
A tripling of funding, expanded refugee officer corps, and processing innovations boosted the United States to its highest refugee resettlement numbers in 30 years in fiscal 2024.
21st Annual Immigration Law & Policy Conference
Featuring keynotes by IOM Director General Amy Pope, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, this conference examined competing U.S. immigration narratives, the global smuggling economy, immigration executive orders and litigation, and more.
Despite Sharply Different Immigration Rhetoric, Democrats and Republicans Now Have a Similar Approach to the Border
Three years of record border arrivals pushed Democrats toward Republican-style enforcement rhetoric, but deep divisions between the political parties remain over deportations and legal immigration.
After Crisis of Unprecedented Migrant Arrivals, U.S. Cities Settle into New Normal
Two years after Texas began busing migrants to U.S. interior cities, local governments had found a fragile footing, but billions in unmet costs and uncertain federal support left them vulnerable.
Comparing the Biden and Trump Deportation Records
Despite an enforcement record that has surpassed that of the first Trump term, the Biden administration has relied heavily on border returns over interior removals.
