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Congress establishes first federal administrative agency for the regulation on immigration
Congress established the first federal administrative agency for the regulation of immigration in the Treasury Department. Congress later refined and strengthened the control of immigration. The Supreme Court gave the constitutional power to regulate immigration to Congress. -
Supreme Court confirms that 14th amendment gives citizenship to all persons born in the U.S.
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States"-14th Amendment -
Expatriation Act revokes citizenship of American women who marry foreigners
Any American woman who married a foreigner was forced to take the nationality of her husband and would no longer be a US citizen but could resume her citizenship if the marriage was terminated. -
US border patrol established with Labor Appropriation Act of 1924
The US border patrol was officially established to secure the borders between inspection stations. -
Indian Citizenship Act grants citizenship to all Native Americans born in the US
Congress granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the US because although some became citizens through marriage, a lot were still not citizens and were barred from the ordinary process of naturalization open to foreigners. -
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066 sending tens of thousands of Japanese Americans to internment camps
This gave the US military the power to ban any citizen from a fifty to sixty mile wide coastal area stretching from Washington state to California and extending inland into southern Arizona. -
Magnuson Immigration Act allows Chinese to become US citizens
After China became an ally during WWII the exclusion laws were repealed and allowed the Chinese to become naturalized citizens, but it gave them an annual quota of only 105 immigrants. -
Ellis Island closes
In November of 1954 the last detainee, a Norwegian merchant Arne Peterssen was released and Ellis Island officially closed. It was later declared a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. -
Armed Forces Naturalization Act allows veterans who served active duty to become naturalized citizens
The Armed Forces Naturalization Act gave US military veterans who served in active duty capacity in Vietnam or other "military hostiles" the ability to become naturalized citizens. -
President Gerald Ford repeals executive order of 9066 proclaiming WWII Japanese relocation a "National Mistake"
34 years after the Japanese Americans were denied their constitutional rights Gerald Ford repealed the executive order. -
Illegal immigration reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act allows some 300,000 central Americans to become legal residents
Congress rewrote provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act that pertain to the circumstances under which certain aliens subject to expulsion from the US may become legal residents. -
Terrorist attacks prompt US Department of Defense to expand military support along the borders
Military support was expanded to include counterterrorism activities. -
Secure Fence Act authorizes fencing along the US-Mexico border
The act authorizes the construction of hundreds of miles of double layer fencing along the nations southern border. It also directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to take action to stop the unlawful entry of undocumented immigrants, terrorists, and contraband into the US using both personnel and surveillance technology. -
SB 1070 signed into law
It is a crime to come into the country illegally, and illegal immigrants will be required to carry paperwork proving their status. AZ police will generally be required to question anyone they reasonably suspect of being undocumented -
US Supreme Court upholds AZ law penalizing businesses that hire undocumented immigrants
The US supreme Court upheld an Arizona law that imposes sanctions against businesses that hire illegal immigrants -
Violence against Women Reauthorizing Act adds immigrants to protected classes
The Violence Against Women Act provides a temporary visa and creates a pathway to legalization for undocumented immigrants who are the victims of domestic abuse. -
President Obama announced executive action to prevent deportation of millions of immigrants in the US illegally
With 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, Obamas plan would let about 4.4 million who are parents of US citizens and legal permanent residents remain in the country temporarily, without the threat of deportation.
