The Center for Immigration Studies, founded in 1985, is a think tank “devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States.” It is a nonprofit that also says it is nonpartisan, though the center’s research and policy positions are conservative. Mark Krikorian, the executive director, is a contributor to National Review Online, a conservative publication, and he is a past spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. In fact, according to a statement by Krikorian in National Review, the center originated as an off-shoot of FAIR, a conservative group that takes a tougher stance against immigration than CIS does. The center, which does not mention its initial association with FAIR on its Web site, advocates a “pro-immigrant, low-immigrant” position, which “seeks fewer immigrants but a warmer welcome for those admitted.”
CIS’ Web site contains a number of reports and other publications, which can be viewed by topic, such as immigration numbers, history, legal and illegal immigration, costs, refugees, and assimilation and citizenship. While many of its papers on illegal immigration espouse a particular viewpoint, other publications, including profiles and numbers of foreign-born populations, are straight-forward analyses of Census Bureau data. The center’s director of research, Steven A. Camarota, has been widely quoted in the media on immigration matters. The center also sends out free daily and weekly e-mails to list subscribers that include immigration news from around the world and alerts to upcoming events.
CIS does not reveal its funding sources on its Web site but does encourage individual donations. CIS has received grants from conservative foundations including the Sarah Scaife Foundation and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, according to those organizations’ annual reports.
Journalists often turn to CIS when looking for a conservative point of view on immigration.