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The "Know Nothing" Party
This prominent political party strongly opposed immigrants, especially Catholics. Due to the major influx of immigrants, these newly native born, white Protestant Americans felt that their economic and political security would be threatened. Their party pushed through anti-immigration bills including one that would require a 21 year residency requirement for citizenship. (Britannica, 2009) -
Immigration Restriction League
Formed by a trio of three Brahimin intellectuals after they graduated from Harvard, this group pushed for a bill to require literacy tests for immigrants believing that they were the cause of many social problems such as poverty, labor unrest and urban crowding, especially those from "eastern europe". This bill did not go through until 1917/1918. -
Immigration Act of 1917
This federal act, also known as the Asiatic Barred Act, imposed an $8.00 per head tax on each immigrant that arrived, expanded the list of undesirables and imposed a new literacy test that shut out any foreigner who lacked a basic reading ability in their own native language. This act would bar any persons from "any country not owned by the U.S., adjacent to the continent of Asia" from immigrating to the United States.(Longley, 2017) -
Immigration ban?
Many Americans are up in arms. But in fact, keeping out desperate souls seeking entry into America has deep roots. On this day 100 years ago, the United States passed the strictest immigration law of its time: the Immigration Act of 1917. ( Sanchez, 2017) -
National Origins Act of 1924
The National Origins Act limited the number of immigrants entering the U.S. each year to not exceed 2% from their native country, reducing it from the prior act which had it at 3%. This quota system did not apply to immigrants from the western hemisphere. It also required immigrants to have a visa issued by an American consular officer abroad before immigrating to the United States. Per laws.com, immigration from Italy fell by 90% after these changes.(Laws.com, n.d.) -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
Also known as the Hart-Celler Act, this act eliminated the quota system from the 1924 act and instead changed it to a preferential visa system that focused on an immigrant's skilled labor and family relationships to those already in the United States. -
The Patriot Act
Amended the Immigration and Nationality Act to broaden the scope of aliens ineligible for admission or deportable due to terrorist activities to include an alien who is a representative of a political, social, or similar group whose political endorsement of terrorist acts undermines U.S. antiterrorist efforts. -
A Day Without Immigrants - May 1, 2006
Over 1.5 million people stayed away from work and school to protest in support of immigrant rights. Called "A Day Without Immigrants", this refusal to work caused many meat producing companies such as Purdue, Tyson and Cargiil to have to shut down over 24 plants. (DemocracyNow.com, 2006) -
Arizona Protests the "Show Me Your Papers" Law
Protests began in Arizon chanting "No Papers, No Fear" in reponse to the "Show Me Your Papers" Arizona law which was upheld by the Supreme Court.This law allows police when investigating or enforcing a crime to demand proof of citizenship of those they suspect are not legally here. Rallies were held to protest this law as they believe will lead to "systematic racial profiling." (Johnson, 2012) -
Protests against Trump's travel ban overtake aiports
Protesters appeared at over 30 airports after hearing that President Trump had signed an executive order banning those from 7 specific countries for 90 days and some indefinitely (Syria). Lawyers and representatives from the ACLU arrived to help those that were detained. (Dehghan, Walters, & Helmore, 2017)
