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Congress adopts rules so any free white person could apply for citizenship after 2 years of residency
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The naturalization Act is changed to 5 years of residency
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The Naturalization Act is changed again to 14 years of residency because of a rise in Xenophobia. It is then reduced to 5 years in 1802.
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The Dred Scott descision declares all Africans non-citizens.
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Allows "aliens of African nativity" to become citizens.
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More than 5.2 million immigrants entered the U.S. between 1880 and 1890
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Requires immigrants to learn English before they can become citizens.
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The immigration caps outlined in the 1965 Immigration Act are replaced with an overall annual limit of 290,000.
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The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) allows immigrants who had entered the U.S. before Jan. 1, 1982, to apply for legal status but required them to pay fines, fees, and back taxes.
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On Nov. 20, 2014, President Barack Obama announced he was taking executive action to delay the deportation of some 5 million illegal immigrants. Under the new policy people who are parents of U.S. citizens or legal residents will receive deportation deferrals and authorization to work legally if they have been in the U.S. for more than five years and pass background checks