David Cook-Martín

David Cook-Martín is a Professor and Department Chair at the University of Colorado. His research focuses on political sociology, race and ethnicity, law, international migration, and citizenship. He explores how nations construct membership through legal frameworks and how migration policies reflect and reinforce racial hierarchies. His work spans historical and comparative perspectives, examining policies in the Americas and Europe.

Key contributions include analyzing the geopolitical origins of U.S. immigration law, the role of temporary migration in nation-building, and the transnational dynamics of cross-border politics. His book Culling the Masses critically examines the racialized foundations of immigration policies in the Americas. Cook-Martín’s scholarship bridges legal studies, sociology, and political science, offering interdisciplinary insights into migration governance and state formation.

He has authored/co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, addressing topics such as policy diffusion, dual nationality, and the intersection of race and citizenship. His work is widely cited in debates about migration control and the enduring legacies of exclusionary practices in modern democracies.