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The Naturalization Act
Article/ Notes
Provided the first rules to be followed by the United States in the granting of national citizenship. This law limited to aliens and naturalization to immigrants who were free white persons of good character. -
50,000 Slaves Become 1st "Illegal Aliens" in U.S.
Article/ Source
After decades of advocacy by abolitionists, a U.S. law makes it illegal to import new slaves into the country. (The domestic slave trade is left untouched.) According to historian Roger Daniels, "The approximately 50,000 slaves smuggled into the United States after 1808 became the first illegal immigrants." -
The Steerage Act
Article/ ResourceU.S.
Congress passed an act regulating passenger-ships and vessels, the legislative branch of the U.S. Government doubtless had in mind a first step toward reforming the passenger trade to America. This act beset the growing immigrant traffic, it was nevertheless the first in a series of such acts passed by the Congress during the 19th century. -
The Gold Rush Increased Immigration from China
Source
The Gold Rush in California increases immigration from China, as well as migration from the eastern United States. California imposes Foreign Minerʼs Tax and enforces it mainly against Chinese miners, who were often forced to pay more than once. -
The Anti-Immigrant Era Strengthens Against Chinese
SourceThe anti-immigrant era that is strengthening in the East over the newly arriving Irish manifests itself on the West Coast in discrimination against Chinese. Chinese immigrants are prohibited from testifying against whites in California courts. The majority of Chinese immigrants at this time are young single men who came to make some money before returning home to get married and have families. -
U.S President Attempts to Centralize Immigration
Source
President Lincoln supported a new law provided that any immigrant in the military who had been honorably discharged could apply for naturalization with only one year of residence in the United States. -
The Chinese Exclusion Act
Source
U.S. Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act, which imposes a 10-year freeze on Chinese labor migration in response to U.S. residents, particularly those on the West Coast, blaming immigrants for widespread unemployment and declining wages. Chinese immigrants, who worked in gold mines, garment factories, and railroad construction, since the 1850s. -
Immigration Act of 1921
Article/ Source
Federal legislation limiting the immigration of aliens into the United States by a quota system based on their country of origin. No nationality can exceed what its population was in the United States in 1890, thereby giving preference to immigrants from Western and Northern Europe; which only 3% can come in at a time. -
U.S. Border Patrol
Article
The U.S. Border Patrol has served as the primary federal law-enforcement agency responsible for the prevention and detection of illegal immigrants, drugs, and contraband entering the United States along both the Mexican and Canadian borders. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
Article/ Source
Japan began bombing American ships and planes at Pearl Harbor and had killed or wounded over 3,500 Americans. That evening President Roosevelt ordered the immediate detention of subversive aliens. All Japanese who had been classified in A, B, and C categories were taken into custody. They were to be turned over immediately to the nearest representative of the Immigration and Naturalization Service -
U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act
President L.B. Johnson signs the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, largely abolishing inequitable quota restricting immigration from Western Hemispheric countries for the first time. Effectively creating illegal immigration from Mexico and Central America. -
The Simpson-Mazzoli Act
Source
The purpose of this legislation was to amend, revise, and reform/re-assess the status of unauthorized immigrants set forth in the Immigration and Nationality Act. This bill gave unauthorized aliens the opportunity to apply and gain legal status if they met mandated requirements. -
The Minuteman Project
Source
An informal group committed to patrolling the U.S.-Mexican border and preventing illegal entry, starts recruiting volunteers. The vigilantes are fed up with the failure of legislation to curtail unlawful border crossings: In 2004, an estimated 10.4 million unauthorized immigrants were in the United States. -
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds 2010 Immigration Law
Article The court unanimously sustained the law’s centerpiece, the one critics have called its “show me your papers”. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said, “Arizona may have understandable frustrations with the problems caused by illegal immigration while that process continues, but the state may not pursue policies that undermine federal law.” -
President Obama Prevents Deportation
Article
President Obama announced Executive action to prevent deportation of millions of immigrants in the United States illegally. With 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, Obama's plan would temorarily shield up to 5 million who are parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents remain in the country, without the threat of deportation.
