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Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
The U.S. Congress resonded to the influx of Asians with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This act stopped the entry of Chinese immagrants for 10 years. This was the first law to establish the federal government's right to restrict immigration based on nationality. -
1888 & 1891
More immagration restricitons were added in 1888 and 1891. They allowed the national government to excluded certain persons, such as criminals, prostitutes, and insane people. It also allowed them to deport aliens who entered the country in violation of these immagration laws. -
Quota Act of 1921
The Quota Act of 1921 limited the annual number of immigrants from each nationality to 3% of the number of foreign-born persons of that nationaliy of that nationality who were living in the U.S. in 1910. Most Asians were not included in the list of nationalities. The law did not pertain to certain categories of educated people, such as professors, ministers, doctors, and lawyers. Finally, immagration from the Western Hemisphere was also unrestricted. -
Immigration Act of 1924 and National Origins Act of 1929
The Immigration Act of 1924 and National Origins Act of 1929 established a new quota system for each nationality and set a limit on the total number of immagrants to be allowed entry at all (150,000 per year). The new quota system was the basis for U.S. immgration policy for more than 35 years. -
1965
This law eliminated quotas based on national origin. Up to 270,000 immigrants could be admitted each year without regard to country of origin, nationality, or race. No more than 20,000 persons could come from one country though. -
1986 - Immigration Reform and Control Act
This act imposed severe penalties on employers who willfully hired illegal aliens. Employers who repeatedly violated this law could be jailed for up to 6 months. -
1987-88 - Amnesty Program
This amnesty program was a provision of the 1986 law. From the summer of 1987 to 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. After 18 months they could apply for permanent residency, eventually applying for citizenship. -
Immigration Act of 1990
This act raised legal immigration levels by about 40%, to 700,000 per year. It stressed family reunification, providing legal status for certain illegal immagrants, and struck down barriers blocking people with certain political beliefs from entering. It aslo tripled the number of visas granted to highly skilled professionals, such as engineers, researchers, and scientists. -
1994 - Proposition 187
This proposition denied public social services, publicly funded health care, and public education to people suspected of being illegal aliens. It was passed, but then later challenged and eventually repealed by federal court decision. -
Immigration Reform Act of 1996
This act was put into effect to stem illegal immigration. It doubled the number of border patrols, increased penalties for immigrant smuggling and document fraud, authorized a speed-up process for returning illegal aliens to their country, barred illegal aliens from reentry for 10 years, etc. -
Welfare Reform Act of 1996
This act prohibited immigrants, including legal immagrants who are not yet citizens, from receiving most forms of public assistance, including welfare. -
1997
The 1996 Welfare Reform was revised and under the new policy many refugees automatically became eligible for permanent legal residence. Other illegal immagrants were allowed to remain in the U.S. while government processed their applications for permanent legal residence. Additionally, immagrants were again made eligible for public assistance benefits.
