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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Push for Comprehensive Immigration Reform Grows, But Several Obstacles Remain
With broad U.S. immigration reform stalled by the recession, the bipartisan DREAM Act emerged as the most viable path for many of the nation's 12 million unauthorized immigrants.
Signs of Change in Immigration Enforcement Policies Emerging From DHS
The Obama administration moved in 2009 to refocus the 287(g) program on immigrants with criminal convictions, signaling a shift from Bush-era enforcement priorities.
Obama Administration Signals It May Review a Number of Bush Immigration Policies
Funding for the U.S. National Fugitive Operations Program grew to $218 million by 2008, although 73 percent of those arrested had no criminal record.
Impending Deadlines on a Number of Immigration Decisions Await Obama
A range of difficult immigration decisions await the incoming Obama administration.
Obama's Homeland Security Selection Viewed as Focused on Immigration
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano's centrist record on immigration left policy experts speculating about the future of U.S. enforcement under the Obama administration.
Hispanic Vote Goes for Obama But May Not Lead to Quick Action on Immigration Reform
In 2008, 67 percent of Hispanic voters backed U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, yet Congress was seen as unlikely to act on immigration reform.
Unauthorized Immigration Declining, But Experts Disagree on Why
Unauthorized immigration to the United States fell sharply after 2005, but whether enforcement or the slowing economy deserves credit remained hotly contested.
Party Platforms Discuss Immigration, But Candidates Scarcely Mention It
In 2008, U.S. Republican and Democratic platforms staked out opposing visions on immigration, yet both presidential candidates barely mentioned it at their conventions.
Government Self-Deportation Program Attracts More Criticism Than Immigrants
A 2008 U.S. voluntary departure pilot drew only six participants out of 457,000 eligible immigrants.