36 Facts About Satveer Chaudhary

Satveer Singh Chaudhary was born on June 12,1969 and is an American criminal defense and immigration lawyer.

Satveer Chaudhary is a politician and a former member of the Minnesota State Senate and the Minnesota House of Representatives serving from 1996 to 2010.

Satveer Chaudhary was the first South Asian senator in American history and for a time was the highest ranking political official of South Asian descent, as well as one of the youngest senators in that state's history.

Satveer Chaudhary then went on to resume his full time career as a private practice attorney in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St Paul.

Satveer Chaudhary was born in Minneapolis in 1969, three years after his parents immigrated from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, India.

Satveer Chaudhary's father, Dr Surendra Pal Singh Chaudhary, is a retired inspector with the United States Department of Agriculture.

In 1977 Satveer Chaudhary's parents moved to the Minneapolis suburb, Fridley, Minnesota, where Satveer Chaudhary spent the remainder of his youth.

Satveer Chaudhary attended Columbia Heights High School, and it was during high school Chaudhary stated that government teacher, Jack Gause, first involved him in state politics.

Satveer Chaudhary stated these experiences were an opportunity to witness truly international struggle.

Satveer Chaudhary acted as Special Assistant to Skip Humphrey during his time as Attorney General of Minnesota.

Satveer Chaudhary received the Governor's Certificate of Commendation for his work with the Legal Aid Society in Minneapolis and was an author for the Journal of Global Trade.

Just two weeks out of law school, Satveer Chaudhary ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives in the July 1995 special election for the District 52A legislative seat, in a Minneapolis suburban area that includes parts of Fridley and New Brighton and all of Columbia Heights and Hilltop.

Satveer Chaudhary lost the race, but later defeated the winner, Republican incumbent Skip Carlson in a 1996 rematch.

At the time he was elected, Satveer Chaudhary became the first Asian-American member of the Minnesota Legislature, and the fourth Indian-American elected to a state legislature in US history.

Satveer Chaudhary worked closely in his first legislative months with Minnesota's Asian community, and on public safety issues, particularly DWI penalties and youth driving regulations.

Satveer Chaudhary became a member of the Police Officers Alliance of Minnesota.

Satveer Chaudhary won the election with 57 percent of the votes.

When he joined the Senate at age 31, Satveer Chaudhary was the Minnesota Senate's youngest member, and became the first Asian-Indian state senator in American history.

In 2001, Satveer Chaudhary was chosen to be a delegate by the American Council of Young Political Leaders representing the United States State Legislatures and traveling to Argentina and Uruguay.

Satveer Chaudhary won the election with 55.5 percent of the vote.

In January 2006 Satveer Chaudhary worked with labor unions to ask then-Governor Tim Pawlenty to step in and help to save jobs of 12,3000 Minnesotans employed by Northwest Airlines.

In 2006, because of his work with the environmental legislations, citizen's groups and outdoors organizations, Satveer Chaudhary was appointed by Senate Majority Leader, Dean Johnson, to serve on the newly-created Legislative and Citizen's Commission on Minnesota Resources.

Satveer Chaudhary, who had just voted against a ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage, had received a letter containing a picture of himself with a bullet hole through his forehead.

In November 2006, Satveer Chaudhary ran again for the SD-50 senate seat against Republican Rae Hart Anderson.

On November 24,2007 the Obama administration invited Satveer Chaudhary to attend a White House dinner honoring India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

However, despite the connection with international and national politics, Satveer Chaudhary continued to focus the remainder of his senate term on conservation issues, state businesses, sportsman causes, and senate district concerns.

In 2010, after political controversies, Satveer Chaudhary lost the DFL endorsement for the SD-50 senate seat.

Satveer Chaudhary lost in the primary to DFL-endorsed former representative Barb Goodwin with 30.9 percent of the vote.

Satveer Chaudhary experienced forms of bias while in the Minnesota House and Senate.

On his first election night victory to the Minnesota legislature, at a celebratory event Satveer Chaudhary was told by an inner-city DFL House-member to "get a nickname" easier for people to pronounce.

Satveer Chaudhary disclosed to members of the committee crafting the bill's final language, that his family owns a cabin on leased land on the lake.

On June 2,2010 the bipartisan Minnesota Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct voted unanimously that Satveer Chaudhary had no conflict of interest in introducing the legislation, had violated no rule nor law, although "he should have taken more time to hear the proposal" and the "any benefit to was pure speculation".

Satveer Chaudhary appealed the Senate District Committee's decision to a special panel of the State DFL Party.

Satveer Chaudhary still chose to proceed to the Minnesota primary election as an unendorsed DFL candidate.

In 2000, Satveer Chaudhary opened a private law office, and in Spring of 2002 he was featured on the cover of the Law Alumni News Magazine along with Senator Mee Moua.

Satveer Chaudhary's practice specializes in immigration and criminal law, where he continues to teach local and national continuing legal education courses, and is called upon for commentary on US immigration issues.