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English Settlers Arrive in America
Virginia, New England, Maryland, the Carolinas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Georgia were begun by Englishmen; and New England, Virginia, and Maryland remained almost entirely English throughout the seventeenth century and well into the eighteenth -
First Alien Naturalization Act Enacted by the Newly Created US Government
This provided the first rules to be followed by all of the United States in the granting of national citizenship. At that time and by that law naturalization was limited to aliens who were 'free white persons' and thus left out indentured servants, slaves, and most women, all of whom were considered dependents and thus incapable of casting an independent vote -
Naturalization Act of 1795 Adds Rules to the Citizenship Process
This increased the period of residence required for citizenship from 2 to 5 years. It also required applicants to declare publicly their intention to become citizens of the United States . -
Alien and Sedition Acts Enacted; US President Given Power to Punish and Deport Immigrants;
These acts increased the residency requirement for American citizenship from five to fourteen years, authorized the president to imprison or deport aliens considered 'dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States' and restricted speech critical of the government. -
Mexican Revolution Drives Thousands of Mexicans across the US-Mexican Border
political opponents of President Porfirio Diaz revolted, He was quickly overthrown, but replacement of his government did not end the Mexican Revolution. -
US Congress Authorizes "Mounted Inspectors" Along the US-Mexico Border
liens encountered illegally in the U.S. by the military were directed to the immigration inspection stations. Texas Rangers were also sporadically assigned to patrol duties by the state, and their efforts were noted as 'singularly effective -
US Labor Secretary Estimates That over 1,000,000 Mexicans Are in United States Illegally
In 1900 there were only 100,000 Mexican immigrants in the United States... The Annual Report of the Commissioner General of Immigration of the United States Department of Labor for the year ending June, 1927, shows that nearly one-half of the immigrants come from countries in the Western Hemisphere -
Hart-Celler Immigration and Nationality Act Abolishes Immigration Criteria Based on Nation of Origin and Race
Effective June 30, 1968, immigration and naturalization exclusion on the basis of race, sex, or nationality was prohibited. Under the Hart-Celler Act, new immigration criteria was based on kinship ties, refugee status, and 'needed skills. -
Cuba Allows 125,000 Cubans to Illegally Depart for the United States
The Cuban government allowed 125,000 Cubans to illegally depart for the United States from the port of Mariel, an incident known as the 'Mariel boatlift.' -
Refugee Act of 1980 Allows Persecuted Individuals to Seek Asylum in United States
The primary goal of the Refugee Act of 1980 was to bring U.S. law into compliance with the requirements of international law. Though domestic U.S. law has long contained provisions designed to protect certain persons fearing persecution. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) Grants Legal Status to Qualifying Immigrants
he Attorney General shall adjust the status of an alien to that of an alien lawfully admitted for temporary residence if the alien meets the following requirements: ...The alien must establish that he entered the United States before January 1, 1982, and that he has resided continuously in the United States in an unlawful status since such date and through the date the application is filed under this subsection. -
Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act Allows Some 300,000 Central Americans to Become Legal Residents
In enacting the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act , Congress rewrote provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act that pertain to the circumstances under which certain aliens subject to expulsion from the United States may become legal residents -
Terrorist Attacks Prompt US Department of Defense to Expand Military Support along the Borders
The military generally provides support to law enforcement and immigration authorities along the southern border. Reported escalations in criminal activity and illegal immigration, however, have prompted some lawmakers to reevaluate the extent and type of military support that occurs in the border region. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, military support was expanded to include counterterrorism activities -
Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act Updates Immigration Databases and Travel Document Requirements
Approximately eight months after the terrorist attacks of September 11, on May 14, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002. …It represents the most comprehensive immigration-related response to the continuing terrorist threat America faces. -
Estimated Number of Unauthorized Immigrants Decreases to 11.6 Million
The number of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States declined from 11.8 million in January 2007 to 11.6 million in January 2008 [a 1.7% decrease]. The 2008 estimate marks the first time since 2005 when DHS began producing annual estimates that there was not a year-to-year increase in unauthorized residents. During the 2000-2008 period, the unauthorized immigrant population increased by 37 percent -
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act Adds Immigrants to Protected Classes
The idea being that immigrants who are subject to domestic violence don’t report it for fear of being deported or are abused though the threat of deportation. As a result, VAWA has been a useful tool for undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows by both speaking out against their abusers and securing legal status
