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Early Restrictions- 1790
Early in the nations history, Congress declared a preference for immigrants from Europe. In 1790, it passed a law defining who could become a citizen if a person was not born here. Citizenship was possible only for someone who was " a free white person." -
Period: to
Heavy Immigration
One of the heaviest periods of immigration in American history came between 1880 and 1920 when some 25 million immigrants arrived. Most came from the countries of Southern and Eastern Europe--parts of the world that were unfamiliar to many Americans. -
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
San Franciscans and other Californians began to rally against the Chinese. In 1882 Congress responded by passing the Chinese Exclusion Act. It said that mo Chinese laborer could enter the United States for 10 years. Chinese professionals were still not allowed to immigrate. Renewed several times, the act was in force until WWII. -
Quota Act 1921
Congress sets up quotas favoring immigrants from northwestern Europe. -
Immigration Act of 1924
The Immigration Act introduced a quota system by country: Each country's immigrants were limited to 2 percent of foreign-born residents from that country listed in the US Census of 1890. -
1965-Immigration Reform Act
This Act abolished the quota system based on national origin. The new law was driven by two principles: reunifying families and giving priority to certain skills. The law also set up annual limits: 170,000 immigrants from Eastern Hemisphere and 120,000 from Western Hemisphere. -
1986- Immigration Reform and Control Act
First Reagan wanted to slow illegal immigration by punishing employers who knowingly hired undocumented immigrants. Second, he wanted to offer a way for long-term, undocumented immigrants to become legal. If they could show they had entered the US before January 1982 and lived here continuously, they could apply for amnesty. -
Immigration Act of 1990
It said that no country could account for more than 7 percent of total immigrants. The law also considered a person's education and skills. The law also set up special categories for war refugees or close relatives of American citizens. -
Immigration Reform Act of 1996
A new law expands the US Border Patrol and stiffens penalties for false papers. -
2007
Bill proposed to fill short-term labor needs through a guest worker program and strengthened border control. The bill also would have fined undocumented immigrants and required them to fulfill certain obligations before they could apply for citizenship.
