Muzaffar A. Chishti

Muzaffar A. Chishti, a lawyer, is director of Migration Policy Institute's "office at New York University School of Law. His work focuses on US immigration policy, the intersection of labor and immigration law, 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 currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the National Immigration Law Center, the New York Immigration Coalition, and the Asian American Federation of New York. He has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Immigration Forum, and as a member of the Coordinating Committee on Immigration of the American Bar Association.

"Mr. Chishti has testified extensively on immigration policy issues before various Congressional committees. In 1992, as part of a US team, he assisted the Russian Parliament in drafting its legislation on forced migrants and refugees. He is a 1994 recipient of New York State Governor's Award for Outstanding Asian Americans, and a 1995 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

"His publications include: America's Challenge: Domestic Security, Civil Liberties, and National Unity After September 11 (co-authored); "Guest Workers in the House of Labor" in the New Labor Forum; "The Role of States in US Immigration Policy" in the NYU Annual Survey of American Law (2002); ); “Employer Sanctions Against Immigrant Workers” in WorkingUSA, and "Rights or Privileges," in the special issue on the Promise of Immigration in The Boston Review."


 * Director, National Coalition for Haitian Rights