-
1607: Beginning of Colonial Immigration
The settlement in 1607 by the English in the James River started the foundation of the Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in Virginia. This settlement marked the beginning of the nation. -
1790: Natuarlization Act
The Naturalization Act of 1790 allowed "free white persons" who had lived in the U.S. for more than two years to be granted citizenship, as long as they can demonstrate good moral character and swear alliance to the Constitution. It was the country's first uniform rule for naturalization. -
1798: Alien and Sedition Acts.
The Alien and Sedition Acts were a combination of four laws. These four laws stated that a person had to reside for 14 years in the U.S. prior to naturalization, it allowed the President to apprehend, remove and restrain citizens from other countries that were in war with the U.S.and lastly permitted the Executive to deport non-citizens deemed. -
1882: Chinese Exclusion Act
This act suspends the immigration Chinese laborers for ten years but allows Chinese who were in the U.S. from November 17, 1880 to stay. First act to attempt immigration regulation among racial lines. -
1921: Emergency Quota Act
The Emergency Quota Act was the first Congressional attempt to regulate immigration by setting admission "quotas" based on nationality. It also limited the number of immigrants of each nationality to immigrate to the U.S. to 3% according the foreign-born in the U.S. as in the 1910 census. -
1942: Bracero Agreement
This agreement between the U.S. and Mexico after World War II allowed Mexican nationals to enter the U.S. and serve as temporary agricultural workers. -
1945: War Brides Act
This particular act permitted the foreign-born spouses and children serving in or honorably discharged from the arm forces in World War II. -
1948:The Displaced Persons Act
The Displaced Persons Act allowed over 200,000 people displaced from their homelands by Nazi persecution to immigrate to the U.S. -
1962: Migration and Refugee Assistance Act
The act authorized funds to assist foreign nationals from the Western hemisphere who left their country because of persecution or fear of persecution based on religion, political opinion, and race. This law intended to assist Cuban nationals fleeing communism. -
1965: Immigration and Nationality Act
This act abolishes the national-origins quota system and replaces it with a system whereby immigrants are admitted based on their relationship to a US citizen or lawful permanent resident family member or US employer. -
1986: Immigration Reform and Control Act
This act provided a 50 percent increase in border patrol staffing and imposed sanctions on employers who hired or recruited unauthorized immigrants, knowingly. Two new legalization programs were part of this act as well it allowed for unauthorized aliens who have lived in the US since 1982 to regularize their status. The other permitted people who were have worked more than 90 days in certain agricultural jobs to apply for permanent resident status. -
1996: The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsiblity Act
This law adds new grounds of inadmissibility and deport-ability, expands the list of crimes constituting an aggravated felony, creates expedited removal procedures, and reduces the scope of judicial review of immigration decisions. -
2002: The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act
The development of an electronic data system to be used to share information relevant to alien admissibility. It also included the implementation of an integrated entry-exit data system. -
2005: The Real ID Act
This act established statutory guidelines for removal cases, expands the terrorism-related grounds for inadmissibility and deportation, includes measures to improve border infrastructure, and requires states to verify an applicant's legal status before issuing any personal identification card that may accepted for federal purpose. -
2006: Secure Fence Act
Congress enacts to adopt immigration reform legislation , the law mandates the construction of more than 700 miles of double-reinforced fence built along the border with Mexico, through the US states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
