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1848- Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War allowing the United States to acquire Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, California, and parts of Utah and Nevada from Mexico. 80,000 Mexicans living in the territory are allowed to remain and receive citizenship. By 1849, the English-speaking population of California reached 100,000 compared to 13,000 of Mexican ancestry. -
1862- The Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was passed in Congress, allowing squatters in the West to settle and claim vacant lands, many of which were owned by Mexicans and opened up millions of acres. The Homestead Acts ended up being several US federal laws that gave an applicant ownership of land, typically called a "homestead", at little or no cost. -
1891- Immigration Act
US governement assumes responsibility of processing immigrants. Inspectors examine immigrants upon arrival and can deport any wth dangerous diseases, etc. -
1906- The Naturalization Act of 1906
Standardizes naturalization procedures and requires some knowledge of the English language for citizenship. It was a revised act from the previous one drafted in 1870. -
1910- Mexican Revolution Drives Thousands of Mexicans across the US-Mexican Border
Development of mining and industry in northern Mexico, as well as building of north-south railroad lines, attracted large numbers of Mexicans to the northern part of the country in the late nineteenth century. Many small landowners were losing their holdings to expanding haciendas, while farm workers were increasingly and systematically trapped into peonage by accumulating debts. Until 1910 when the Mexican President Diaz was overthrown by politcal opponents. US offered jobs during chaos. -
1924- US Border Patrol Established with Labor Appropriation Act of 1924
On May 28, 1924, Congress passed the Labor Appropriation Act of 1924, officially establishing the U.S. Border Patrol for the purpose of securing the borders between inspection stations. In 1925 its duties were expanded to patrol the seacoast. Officers were quickly recruited for the new positions. The Border Patrol expanded to 450 officers. -
1927- 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 smuggling of Mexicans across the border, it is said, is an easy process, as much of the southern boundary is unguarded and the Rio Grande, which forms the greater part of it, is easily crossed. -
1942- The Bracero Program
The Bracero Program was a series of laws and diplomatic agreements for the importation of temporary contract laborers from Mexico to the United States. -
1964- The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act establishes affirmative action programs, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender, creed, race, or ethnic background. -
1986- Immigration Reform and Control Act
It is intended to toughen U.S. immigration law; border security is to be enforced and employers are now required to monitor the immigration status of their employees. -
1990- Immigration Act of 1990 Increases Limit on Legal Immigration and Revises Grounds for Exclusion and Deportation
The immigration act of 1990 increased the limits on legal immigration to the United States, revised all grounds for exclusion and deportation, authorized temporary protected status to aliens of designated countries, revised and established new nonimmigrant admission categories, revised and extended the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, and revised naturalization authority and requirements. -
1994- The North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, the United States, and Mexico expands and exploits the maquiladora concept, offering potential tax reductions to U.S. businesses. -
2004- The Minutemnen Project
The Minutemen project is an activitst organized started by a group of private individuals in the United States to monitor the United States – Mexico border's flow of illegal immigrants. -
2010- SB-1070
The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act is a legislative Act in the state of Arizona. U.S. federal law requires all aliens over the age of 14 who remain in the United States for longer than 30 days to register with the U.S. government,and to have registration documents in their possession at all times; violation of this requirement is a federal misdemeanor crime -
2012- Arizona v. United States
In June 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the case Arizona v. United States, upholding the provision requiring immigration status checks during law enforcement stops but striking down three other provisions as violations of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.
