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Jan 1, 1565
First permanent settlement
The first European settlement in the United States is established at St. Augustine, Florida, by the Spanish -
Slaves arrive in America
First shipment of African slaves arrives in Virginia. -
Ben Franklin shares his stance
Benjamin Franklin worries about German immigrants, writing, "This Pennsylvania will in a few years become a German colony; instead of [their] learning our language, we must learn theirs, or live as in a foreign country." -
First use of the word "immigrant"
Jedidiah Morse used the word "immigrant" in his patriotic textbook American Geography, making mention of the "many immigrants from Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and some from France" living in New York. Previously writers had referred only to "emigrants." -
Period: to
First great wave of immigration
The first great wave of immigration to the United States. Over ten million immigrants arrive with mostly British, Irish, and German predominating. -
Schooling provided in immigrant children's first language
Pennsylvania passes a law enabling public schools to provide instruction in the German language when at least 30 percent of the parents request such instruction -
Period: to
More than 1 million immigrants in 1 Decade
First decade in American history in which immigration to the United States exceeds one million. (The total for the decade is 1,713,251.) -
Chinese Immigrants
Significant Chinese migration to the United States begins in the aftermath of the California gold rush. -
Employers bring immigrants to the US
Congress enacts legislation to help stimulate immigration by authorizing employers to pay for the passage of prospective immigrants, This legislation is repealed in 1868. -
Immigrations is a federal issue
The Supreme Court, in Henderson v. Mayor of New York, rules that the administration of immigration is a federal matter and not a concern for state and/or local government. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act is passed. The first serious prohibition of free immigration in all of American history, this legislation bans Chinese migration to the United States for ten years. It was renewed in 1892 and again in 1902 when Congress moved to make the ban permanent. -
Ellis Island
The federal government opens its new immigration reception center on Ellis Island, which had been the site of a naval arsenal in New York Harbor. Over the next forty years some twelve million immigrants passed through it. -
1 Million Immigrants in 1 year
For the first time in American history more than one million immigrants arrive in the United States in a single year. -
Anti-Japanese Movement
An anti-Japanese movement begins to gather steam in the United States. It is centered on the West Coast, especially California. -
Meican Revolution
Mexican Revolution sends thousands of Mexicans to the United States. Over the next twenty years, nearly a million enter the United States, seeking work. -
Literacy Test
A literacy test for incoming immigrants finally becomes law. Such legislation had previously secured congressional approval only to fall to vetoes by three different presidents. With its passage Congress for the first time enacts a general restriction of immigrants. The legislation also ordered the deportation of aliens -
Immigration Restriction Legislation
Congress passes immigration restriction legislation. A quota of 350,00 is established. Under this legislation European immigration is limited ot 3 percent of the number of foreign-born of each nationality present in the United States as of the last available census, that of 1910. -
Border Control
Operation Wetback- President Eisenhower's border control program. Cut illegal immigration at the cost of anti-Latino discrimination. -
Immigration Act of 1965
The Immigration Act of 1965 removes the national origins quota system. It establishes a ceiling of 270,000 immigrants per year with no more than 20,000 from one country. It creates a system of preferences, with highest priority given to family reunification -
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 allows most illegal aliens who have reside in the U.S. continuously since January 1 of 1982 to apply for legal status and prohibits employers from hiring illegal aliens and mandates penalties for violations -
Sheriff Joe
Joe Arpaio is Elected Maricopa County Sheriff in Arizona. -
Operation Gatekeeper
Then President Clinton institutes “Operation Gatekeeper” begins to enforce immigration crossings in California effectively driving immigrant entry into harsh Arizona dessert. -
Patriot Act
U.S. Patriot Act is considered by Congress to restrict the flow of immigrants and potential terrorists into the U.S. -
AZ Minuteman Border Patrol
First Arizona Minuteman Border Patrol attended by heavy armed Nazis and White Supremacists -
Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act AZ
Arizona Republican Governor Jan Brewer signs into law the "Support our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act," . Brewer says it will help keep Arizona safe from drug cartels and other threats. The law makes "attrition through enforcement" the public policy of all state and local government agencies. That refers to a strategy that aggressive immigration enforcement makes life so difficult that illegal immigrants choose to leave Arizona. -
Supreme Court Ruling
The Supreme Court upholds a key part of Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigrants, rejecting the Obama administration's stance that only the U.S. government should enforce immigration laws in the United States. The justices rule that three of the four challenged provisions went too far in intruding on federal law.
