Immigration Timeline

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Apr 28, 1882

Stopped entry of chinese immigrants into the United States for 10 years. that act was the first to establish the federal government's right to restrict immigration based on nationalities

1888 & 1891

Apr 28, 1888

They allowed the national government not only to exclude certain individuals, convicts, prostitutes, and insane persons,for example but also to deport aliens who entered the country in violation of these immigration laws.

Quota Act of 1921

Apr 28, 1921

This act limited the annual number of immigrants from each nationality to 3 percent of the number of foreign-born persons of that nationality who were living in the United States in 1910.

Immigration Act of 1924 and National Origins Act of 1929

Apr 28, 1929

Established a new qouta system for each nationality and set a limit on the total number of immigrants to be allowed entry at all.

1965

Apr 28, 1965

This law had eliminated qoutas based on national origin.

1986 - Immigration Reform and Control Act

Apr 28, 1986

Imposed severe penalties on employers who willfully hired illegal aliens.

1987-88 - Amnesty Program

Apr 28, 1987

From the summerof 1987 to the summer of 1988, illegal aliens who could prove that they had been in this country continuously for at least five years could apply to obtain temporary legal residency status

Immigration Act of 1990

Apr 28, 1990

This act raised legal immigration levels by about 40 percent, 700,000 ;er year.

1994 - Proposition 187

Apr 29, 1994

Ballot initiative designed to create a state-run citizenship screening system in order to prohibit illegal immigrants from using health care, public education, and other social services in the U.S.

Immigration Reform Act of 1996

Apr 29, 1996

The most recent attempt to stem illegal immigration was the 1996 Immigration Reform Act. This act had many provisions aimed at curbing illegal immigration into the United States.

1997

May 2, 1997

Under the new policy, many refugees automatically became eligible for permanent legal residence

Welfare Reform Act of 1996

Apr 29, 2011

Prohibited immigrants, including legal immigrants who are not yet citizens, from recieving most forms of public assistance, including welfare benefits.