U.S. Immigration

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Apr 30, 1882

Stopped entry of Chinese immigrants into the United States for ten years. This act was the first to establish the federal goverment's right to restrist immigration based on nationalities.

1888 and 1891

Apr 30, 1888

Allowed the national goverment not only to exclude certain individuals but also to deport aliens who entered the country in violation of these immigration laws.

Quota Act of 1921

Apr 30, 1921

Limited the annual number of immigrants from each nationality to 3 percent of the number of foreign-born persons of that nationality who wereliving in the United States in 1910. Most Asian groups were not included in the list of nationalities. Immigration from the Western Hemisphere was also unrestricted.

Immigration Act of 1924 and National Origins Act of 1929

Apr 30, 1924

Established a new quota system for each nationality and set a limit on the total number of immigrants to be allowed entry at all.

1965

Apr 30, 1965

Eliminated quotas based on national orgin. AS many as 270,000 immigrants could be admitted each year without regard to nationality country of orgin, or race.

1986 - Immigration Reform and Control Act

Apr 30, 1986

Imposed severe penalties on employers who willfully hired illegal aliens. Employers who repeatadly violate this law can be jailed for up to 6 months.

1987-88 - Amnesty Program

Apr 30, 1987

Illegal aliens who could prove that they had been in this country continuosly for at least five years could apply to obtain temporary legal residency status.

Immigration Act of 1990

Apr 30, 1990

Increased the number of legal immigrants allowed into the United States each year. This was done to help immigrants from countries where the United States did not often grant visas.

1994 - Proposition 187

Apr 30, 1994

Was a 1994 ballot initiative to establish a state-run citizenship screening system and prohibit illegal aliens from using health care, public education, and other social services in the U.S. State of California.

Welfare Reform Act of 1996

Apr 30, 1996

Prohibited immigrants, including legal immigrants who are not yet citizens, from receiving most forms of public assistance, including welfare benefits.

Immigration Reform Act of 1996

Apr 30, 1996

The act put into effect a number of provisions to stem illegal immigration.

1997

Apr 30, 1997

Many refugees automatically became eligible for permanent legal residence. Other illegal immigrants were allowed to remain in the United States while the government processed their applications for permanent legal residence.