Center for Immigration Studies: mission, leadership and finances
Washington think tank founded in 1985 that advocates lower and more selective immigration to the United States.
Also known as CIS
Organization
| Founded | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
| EIN | 52-1449368 |
| Tax status | 501(c)(3) |
| Website | cis.org |
Finances (IRS Form 990)
| Total revenue | $3.0 million |
|---|---|
| Total expenses | $3.3 million |
| Total assets | $5.4 million |
| Tax year | 2023 |
What it does
The Center for Immigration Studies, or CIS, is a Washington research organization focused on immigration levels and their effects. It publishes reports, a blog, and a database of immigration court and enforcement information, and it testifies before Congress.
Center for Immigration Studies is listed here in the category "Think tanks". A listing on 4conservative.com describes an organization; it is not an endorsement of it or of its positions.
History
CIS was founded in 1985 and was created with the support of John Tanton. It is a separate organization from FAIR and NumbersUSA, though the groups share a general view. Mark Krikorian has been its executive director for many years.
Center for Immigration Studies is a think tank. It is headquartered in Washington, DC. Its IRS tax status is 501(c)(3). Like other organizations in this collection, it is described here from its own published material and from public records, and the facts on this page are limited to what those sources state.
Leadership and funding
CIS is funded by foundations and individuals and files a Form 990. Its website lists its board and fellows.
The IRS figures on this page come from the latest Form 990 filing that ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer lists for the organization, for tax year 2023: total revenue of $3.0 million, total expenses of $3.3 million and total assets of $5.4 million at year end. ProPublica lists the filer as Center For Immigration Studies Inc. The figures describe a single tax year and can differ sharply from year to year; check the filing itself and the organization's own site for the current picture.
Where it stands
CIS argues for reducing immigration and stricter enforcement, and describes itself as "pro-immigrant, low-immigration." Critics, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, label it an anti-immigration group; CIS rejects that label.
These summaries reflect the organization's own stated mission and publicly known activities as of the date below; they are neutral descriptions, not evaluations. Related organizations on this site include Federation for American Immigration Reform, NumbersUSA, The Heritage Foundation.
Sources
Profile last reviewed November 8, 2026