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Congress passed a law defining who could become a citizen if a person was not born here.
The constitution clearly gives congress the power to make immigration policy. Early in the nations history, congress declared a preference for immigrants from Europe. In 1970, Congress passed a law defining who could become a citizen if a person was not born here: Citizenship was possible for someone who was a "free white person". -
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Heavy Period of 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. They saw these new immigrants as very different from themselves. -
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
n 1882 congress passed the first major law that barred entrance to specific groups because of the California Gold Rush and railroad building had attracted many immigrants. The law said that no Chinese laborer could enter the US for 10 years, renewed several times, the law was in force until WWII. In that conflict, China was an American ally and congress repealed the law. -
Quota Act of 1921
Each countries immigrants were limited to 2% of foreign born residents from that country listed in the US census of 1890. -
Immigration Act of 1924
1924 Congress took a more drastic step. The immigration act of 1924 introduced a quota system by each country. each country's immigrants were limited to 2% of foreign born residents from that country listed in the US census of 1890. The formula favored groups that had been in the US for a long time. -
1965 Immigration Reform Act
The next major policy shift was inspired largely by the civil rights movement and its ideal of equality and social justice. In 1965 congress passed the immigration reform act, abolishing the quota system based on national origin. when he signed the reform bill, president Lyndon B. Johnson refereed to the old system as
"un-American" -
Immigration Act of 1990
By 1990, more than 80 percent of American immigrants came from Asia and Latin America. Congress wanted to prevent any one country from making up most of the immigrants to the US. In order to do this it passed the Immigration Act of 1990, which said no country could account for more than 7 percent of total immigrants. This law also set up special categories for war refuges and considered a person's education skills. -
Immigration Reform Act of 1996
This act states that immigrants unlawfully present in the United States for 180 days but less than 365 days must remain outside the United States for three years unless they obtain a pardon. If they are in the United States for 365 days or more, they must stay outside the United States for ten years unless they obtain a waiver. If they return to the United States without the pardon, they may not apply for a waiver for a period of ten years. -
George Bush
In George Bush's presidency committed himself to backing a bill to address all immigration issues. Bush's bill proposed to fill short labor needs through a guest worker program and strengthened border control. He thought it was realistic to not track down and deport millions of illegal immigrants but the senate voted it down.
