Mark Krikorian

Mark Krikorian, a nationally recognized expert on immigration issues, has served as Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) since 1995. He oversees the Center’s work to provide quality research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States with the goal of educating government officials, the media, and the public.

Krikorian’s knowledge and expertise in the immigration field are sought by legislators and news media. He has testified before Congress dozens of times as well as before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Under Krikorian’s leadership, the Center’s influence has expanded from nationwide to international. Following his participation as a featured speaker at policy conferences in Europe, he initiated the creation of the International Network for Immigration Research. This network establishes a cooperative arrangement between research organizations, including the Center, from four countries that share similar perspectives on immigration.

Krikorian has been profiled in The Washington Post, which labeled him “one of the chief intellectual architects of the movement to slow immigrant to a trickle” and queried, “Can immigration reform pass? – might be reframed this way: Can Mark Krikorian be stopped?” He has published articles in numerous outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and elsewhere across the country. He is a contributor at National Review Online, and has appeared on all major cable and broadcast news networks.

Krikorian addresses a variety of audiences on a multitude of immigration topics. In addition, he is the author of the books "The New Case against Immigration, Both Legal and Illegal" and "How Obama is Transforming America through Immigration." He also co-authored "Open Immigration: Yea & Nay" with Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute.

Krikorian holds a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. He spent two years at Yerevan State University in then-Soviet Armenia.