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Naturalization Act of 1790
The first Naturalization Act stated that "free white persons" could gain citizenship if they had lived in the U.S. for 2 years and had good character. The new citizens' children under the age of 21 were given citizenship, too.
(history.com/news/birthright-citizenship-history-united-states) -
The Naturalization Act of 1795
This new version extended the Naturalization Act to increased the residency requirement from 2 years to 5 years. The act also required the applicants to submit a declaration of intent to become at least 3 years before naturalization.
(constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/art-S8-C4-1-2-3/ALDE_00013163/#~text=In%20Congress) -
Alien and Sedition Acts
This Act which lengthen the period in which to declare an intent to become a citizen to 5 yrs, lengthened the period min. residence requirement to 14 yrs and barred the naturalization of any alien from a country at war with the US. It allowed the president to deport non-citizens during wartime. It made it a crime for a citizen to "print, utter or publish any false, scandalous and malicious writing" about the government (constitution.congress.gov) -
The Naturalization Law of 1802
In 1802, Congress repealed the previous laws and restored both the 5 year residence and requirement of 3 year declaration of intent period.
(constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/art-S8-C4-1-2-3/ALDE_00013163/#~text=In%20Congress) -
The Naturalization Act of 1804
The Naturalization Act of 1804 confirmed that a woman's nationality was dependent upon her marital status. Since then until 1934, when a man filed a declaration of intention to become a citizen but died prior to naturalization, his widow and minor children were considered as citizens of the U.S., if she appeared in court and took the oath of allegiance and renunciation.
(https://www.archives.gov/publications summer 1998, Vol 30, No.2 Genealogy Notes by Marian L. Smith) -
Dred Scott Vs. Sanford
A slave, Dred Scott sued the executor of his late master's estate saying he was free because his master willingly took him to a free territory. Chief Justice Taney decided he was not a citizen because he was if African descent. (Interpretation: The Citizenship Clause/ Constitution Center, n.d.) -
The Civil Rights Act of 1866
Congress passed the Civil Rights Act declaring that all person born in the US were citizens with full rights under the Constitution. Two exceptions: American-born persons "subject to any foreign power" and for "Indians not taxed".
(defenseculture.mil/Portals/90/Documents/Toolkits/Acts-Executive-Orders.pdf?ver=2020-01-06-142757-673#) -
The 14th Amendment
The 14th amendment granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to African Americans and slaves who had been emancipated after the Civil War, including under the umbrella phrase "all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.
(excluding Indians not taxed) (https:/www.britannica.com/topic/Fourteenth-Amendment) -
The Page Act of 1875
Federal legislation prohibiting the entry of "undesirable immigrants" meaning contract laborers and prostitutes in the US. This was primarily enforced against the Chinese and Asian countries.
(https://ww.archives.gov/research/aapi/.) -
Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882
It provided a 10 yr ban on Chinese laborers immigrating to the US. It was the first time federal law proscribed entry of an ethnic working group on the premise, it endangered the good order of certain localities. It required non-labors to obtain Chinese government certification to immigrate to US. If Chinese immigrates left, they had to obtain certification to re-enter. Congress refused to grant citizenship to Chinese resident aliens (history.state.gov/milestones/documents/chinese-exclusion-act) -
The Organic Act of 1900
The Organic Act of 1900 was US Congress law that established Hawaii as a US territory and outlined its government. It also granted Hawaiians citizenship. -
Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 (Snyder Act)
The Indian Citizenship Act, also known as the Snyder Act, granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the US.
(news.law.northwestern.edu/looking-to-the-past-100-years-since-the-1924-indian-citizenship-act/# 02.06.2024) -
Basic Naturalization Act of 1906
Congress restored dignity and uniformity to the naturalization process. It created the Federal Naturalization Service to oversee the naturalization courts. The law framed the rules and required standard forms to prevent fraud. It also required immigrants to learn English to become naturalized citizens. (uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/facts-sheets/INSHistory.pdf) -
The Gentlemen's Agreement, 1907
The Japanese Government had voluntarily limited Japanese immigration to the US in a Gentlemen's Agreement.
(history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/immigration-act) -
Immigration Law, 1917 Literacy Test
This Act implemented a literacy test that required immigrants over 16 yr old to demonstrate basic reading comprehension in any language. It also increased the tax paid by new immigrants upon arrival. Finally, it excluded from entry anyone born in a geographically defined "Asiatic Barred Zone" except for Japanese and Filipinos.
(history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/immigration-act) -
The Immigration Act of 1924
This Act limited the # of immigrants allowed entry into the US through national origins quota. The quota provided immigration visas to 2% of the total # of people of each nationality in the US as of the 1890 national census. It completely excluded immigrants from Asia.
(history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/immigration-act) -
Legislation of 1926
Established the designated examiner system which assigned a Naturalization Examiner to each federal naturalization court to interview applicants, make recommendations to judges and monitor proceedings. This would advance the uniformity and fairness of the naturalization process nationwide (uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/facts-sheets/INSHistory.pdf) -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (The McCarran-Walter Act)
The law repealed the last of the existing measures to exclude Asian immigration, allotted each Asian nation a minimum quota of 100 visas each year and eliminated laws preventing Asians from becoming naturalized American citizens. (http://history.state.gov/1945-1952) -
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA)
IRCA required INS to create an electronic system for verifying the immigration status of noncitizen applicants and recipients of, certain types of federally funded benefits. IRCA made it illegal to knowingly hire undocumented immigrants and establish penalties for companies that did so.
(https://ww.bu.edu/hr/policies/federal-and-state-laws) -
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA)
PRWORA restructured the welfare system in the US and restricted immigrant eligibility for public benefits, expanding the need for benefit-granting agencies to verify immigration status. (uscis.gov) -
Patriot Act
The Patriot Act protects the American people against terrorists. The Act enables law enforcement and intelligence officials so that they can share information and work together to help prevent attacks, limit the number of illegal immigrants and possible terrorists entering the US.
(https://www.britannica.com/USA patriot Act, 9/19/2024) -
Secure Fence Act of 2006
The bill authorized more vehicles, barriers, checkpoints and lighting to help prevent people from entering the US illegally along the Mexico and US border.
(https://georgewbush/whitehouse.archives.gov) -
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)2012
This executive order provides protection from deportation and work authorization to persons who arrived as minor children and had lived in the US since June 15, 2007
(https://immigrationhistory.org) -
Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Residents (DAPA) and DACA Program expanded
This executive order issued by the Obama White House sought to defer deportation and some other protections for unauthorized immigrants whose children were either American citizens or lawful permanent residents.
(https://immigrationhistory.org)