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Jamestown Established
Jamestown was the first permanent English colony that was founded. This was named Jamestown due to the fact it was developed in Jamestown, Virginia. This was the start of a nation! -
Oath of Allegiance
German foreigners that were settling in Pennysylvania without any certificates demonstratin their identity, orgin, and intention. Therefore - the council and Pennsylvania's governor required all illlegal aliens to take an "Oath of Allegiance" promising to be faithful to the province, laws, and King. -
Alien Naturalization Act Passed
The Naturalization Act was passed by congress in June of 1798. This act increased the amount of time necessary for immigrants to become legal/natural citizens in the United States from five to fourteen years. This was passed in hopes of increasing national security. -
Mass Chinese Immigration
April 19th, 1800 marked the first major documents of the Chinese in the United States. At this time, the Americans liked them because they were mainly all wealthy merchants. Eventually, unskilled Chinese citizens would come into the U.S., causing acts and laws that would help decrease and get rid of the Chinese in the U.S. -
Naturalization Act of 1802
This act reduced the period of residency required for naturalization back down to five years, after the 1798 Alien Act changed it to fourteen. -
Slave Trade Becomes Illegal
The authors of the Constitution protected the foreign slave trade by prohibiting interference with it for 20 years. The foreign slave trade was a major source of immigration. When the 20 year period ended congress promptly made the trade illegal, but didn't interfere with slave trade itself. Then, appx 50,000 slaves smuggled into the U.S. after 1808 becoming the first illegal immigrants. -
Congress & Immigration
Supreme Court rules that only Congress can regulate immigration after Massachusettes and NY's "laws taxing and otherwise impeding immigrants" got appealed. Eventually this led to a rule that even in the absence of any federal legislation, state governments could not regulate immigration. -
Homestead Acts
The act was several United States federal laws that gave an applicant (citizen or immigrant) ownership of land, typically called a "homestead", at little or no cost (1.25 per acre).
RULES: "Anyone who had never taken up arms against the U.S. government (including freed slaves and women); was 21 or older, or the head of a family; could file an application to claim a federal land grant. There was also a residency requirement." -
The Chinease Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was one of the most significant restrictions on free immigration in the United States history. This act exluded Chinese to enter and live in the country for 10 years. -
Border Patrol is Established
Border Patrol is officially established! Congress passed the Labor Appropriation Act of 1924, officially establishing the U.S. Border Patrol for the purpose of securing the borders between inspection stations. Between this time and 1928 officers were given weapons, uniforms, horses, and more career positions. -
Secure Fence Act
A law to extend the U.S./Mexico border fence. This law is requiring 700 miles of double layered fencing along the nations South border. The security system will also increase along the North border. -
Arizona Senate Bill (SB) 1070
The Arizona SB 1070 is a legislative act requiring all illegal aliens over the age of fourteen who remain in the U.S. for more than 30 days to register with the U.S. government. Once registered, you must carry your paperwork with you everywhere you go at all times. This was once the strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in U.S. history. -
US Supreme Court Upholds AZ Law
Supreme Court decides to support Arizonas Law that requires penalizing any businesses/companies that hire undocumented immigrants. -
Obama Permits Young Migrants To Stay in U.S.
President Obama makes a policy that allows illegal immigrants who came to the country as children (before age 16) to stay. This helps more than 800,000 people. "The Department of Homeland Security will no longer initiate the deportation of illegal immigrants who came to the United States before age 16, have lived here for at least five years, and are in school, are high school graduates or are military veterans in good standing. The immigrants must also be under 30 and have cleancriminal record" -
High Court Splits its Verdict on Arizona Immigration Law
The court unanimously support/are keeping Arizonas law centerpiece, SB 1070. However, they left the door open to further challenges. The provision requires state law enforcement to determine the immigration status of anyone they stop or arrest. (If they have reason to suspect that the individual might be in the country illegally)
