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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Haiti Tragedy Raises Important Immigration Issues for the United States
The 2010 Haiti earthquake prompted Temporary Protected Status for Haitians in the United States.
New Immigration Bill Edges Comprehensive Immigration Reform Back on the Legislative Agenda
U.S. House Democrats' 2009 immigration reform bill drew nearly 90 co-sponsors but was not seen as a viable path to comprehensive reform.
Recession Breathes New Life into U.S. Immigrant Investor Visa Program
Spurred by the recession, the U.S. EB-5 investor visas nearly tripled in fiscal year 2009.
Senate Avoids Adding an Immigration Wrinkle to the 2010 U.S. Census
A narrowly defeated U.S. Senate amendment would have tied House apportionment to citizen counts alone, threatening representation in high-immigration states.
Immigration Controversy Lands in the Middle of Health-Care Reform Debate
All 2009 health-care reform bills maintained the five-year Medicaid bar for lawful permanent residents, leaving an estimated 4.2 million uninsured.
With Kennedy's Death, Loss of Major Figure in U.S. Immigration Policy
Senator Edward M. Kennedy shaped nearly every major U.S. immigration law in recent years, leaving a void as Congress faced renewed pressure to overhaul the system.
New and Revised ICE Agreements with State and Local Law Enforcement Met with Criticism
By expanding the 287(g) program to 77 jurisdictions, the Obama administration drew sharp criticism from both immigrant advocates and enforcement proponents.
DHS Rescinds "No-Match" Rule, Moves Forward with E-Verify as It Shifts Enforcement Focus to Employers
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has signaled a turn toward targeting employers rather than unauthorized immigrants in worksite enforcement.
ICE to Expand New Immigration Enforcement Program in Local Jails
Of approximately 12,000 “criminal aliens” flagged by Secure Communities in its first months, only 862 were the highest-priority Level 1 offenders.
Supreme Court Rules against Charging Unauthorized Immigrants with "Aggravated Identity Theft"
A U.S. law aiming to target hackers and thieves became a major immigration enforcement tool before the Supreme Court unanimously curbed its use against unauthorized workers.