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Naturalization Act of 1790
The Naturalization Act of 1790 was the first country-wide set of immigration and citizenship laws. This law allowed aliens who had been living in the United States for two years to apply for citizenship, and also granted citizenship to children born to U.S. citizens while outside of the country. -
Congress establishes reporting on immigration
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The California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush sparks first mass immigration from China. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/California_Clipper_500.jpg -
Mounted Guards Patrol the Border
The first instance of enforcing border patrol began in the early 1900's with the "mounted guards," stationed in El Paso, Texas as ranging the border as far east as California. -
Mexican Immigration
The violence and scarcity of jobs during the Mexican Revolution, during 1910, caused many Mexicans to leave their country and come to the U.S. Most of these immigrants settled in the South Western states of the U.S., including California, Texas, and Arizona. -
Arizona Becomes A State
Arizona's brithday is February 14, 1912! -
Labor Appropriation Act of 1924
The Labor Appropriation Act of 1924 established an official border patrol as a federal law enforcement agency. -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
This added new restrictions on immigration from Mexico. -
Ellis Island Immigration Reception Center Opens
The new immigration reception center opened in New York in 1892. About 12 million immigrants passed through this reception center. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
This Act made it illegal to hire undocumented workers. It required employers to attest to their employees' immigration status. It also included an amnesty program for aliens who had entered the United States before January 1, 1982. -
Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act
This Act strengthened border enforcement. It also stated that if an individual was not a citizen they did not receive benefits. -
Prop 200
The Arizona Legislature passes a law requiring proof of legal status to get a driver's license. Russell Pearce, director of the state Motor Vehicle Division, wrote the law. -
9/11 Prompts Military Support at the Border
The terrorist attack on 9/11 caused the deployment of military support to the American/Mexican border. -
AZ State of Energency
Gov. Janet Napolitano declares a state of emergency along Arizona's border with Mexico, a move that allowed her to free up $1.5 million in disaster funds to help border counties combat illegal immigration and drug smuggling. -
SB 1070 - Arizona Immigration Law
SB 1070 created state penalties for actions such as harboring or employing illegal immigrants. This law was challenged in the Supreme Court, but the law was upheld. -
Proposition 200 Revoked
Proposition 200, which was passed in 2004, required voters to provide proof of citizenship before registering to vote. On June 17, 2013, the Supreme Court denied this proposition.
