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Act of 1819
The congress enacted the first federal legislation specifically to immigration. They first stablished the continuing reporting of immigration to the United States, then they set specific nourishment rules for passengers on ships leaving to the United States. -
Act of 1857
Dred Scott decision declared free Africans non-citizens. -
Act of 1846
: Irish of all classes emigrate to the United States as a result of the potato famine. -
Act of 1864
Congress centralized the control over immigration under the Secretary of State with a Commissioner. -
Act of 1868
African Americans gained citizenship -
Act of 1880
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Act of 1882
Chinese exclusion act. First federal immigration law suspended Chinese immigration for 10 years and barred Chinese in U.S. from citizenship. -
Act of 1885
Contract Labor Law. Unlawful to import unskilled aliens from overseas as laborers. Regulations did not pertain to those crossing land borders. -
Act of 1888
For the first time since 1798, provisions are adopted for expulsion of aliens. -
ACt of 1889
Jane Addams founds Hull-House on Chicago's Near West Side. -
Act of 1890
Foreign-born in US were 15% of population more arriving from southern and eastern Europe than northern and western -
Act of 1891
Bureau of Immigration established under the Treasury Department. More classes of aliens restricted including those who were monetarily assisted by others for their passage. Steamship companies were ordered to return ineligible immigrants to countries of origin -
1892
Ellis Island opened to screen immigrants entering on east coast. (Angel Island screened those on west coast.) Ellis Island officials reported that women traveling alone must be met by a man, or they were immediately deported -
1902
Chinese Exclusion Act renewed indefinitely -
1905
Construction of Angel Island Immigration began in the area known as China Cove. Surrounded by public controversy from its inception, the station was finally put into operation in 1910. It was designed control the flow of Chinese into the country, who were officially not welcome with the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. -
1906
Procedural safeguards enacted for naturalization. Knowledge of English becomes a basic requirement. -
1907
Head tax is raised. People with physical or mental defects, tuberculosis, and children unaccompanied by a parent are added to the exclusion list. Japan agreed to limit emigrants to US in return for elimination of segregating Japanese students in San Francisco schools. -
1910
Dillingham Reports from Congress assumed inferiority of "new immigrants" from southern and eastern Europe and suggested a literacy test to restrict their entry. -
1917
Immigration Act provided for literacy tests for those over 16 and established an "Asiatic Barred Zone," which barred all immigrants from Asia. -
1921
Quota Act of 1921 limited immigrants to 3% of each nationality present in the US in 1910. This cut southern and eastern European immigrants to less than 1/4 of those in US before WW I. Asians still barred; no limits on western hemisphere. Non-quota category established: wives, children of citizens, learned professionals, and domestic servants not counted in quotas. -
1922
Japanese made ineligible for citizenship. -
1924
Quotas changed to 2% of each nationality based on numbers in US in 1890. Based on surnames (many anglicized at Ellis Island) and not the census figures, 82% of all immigrants allowed in the country came from western and northern Europe, 16% from southern and eastern Europe, 2% from the rest of the world. As no distinctions were made between refugees and immigrants, this limited Jewish emigres during 1930s and 40s. -
1929
The annual quotas of the 1924 Act are made permanent. -
1940
Provided for finger printing and registering of all aliens. -
1943
In the name of unity among the Allies, the Chinese Exclusion Laws were repealed, and China's quota was set at a token 105 immigrants annually. Basis of the Bracero Program established with importation of agricultural workers from North, South, and Central America. -
1946
Procedures adopted to facilitate immigration of foreign-born wives, finace(e)s, husbands, and children of US armed forces personnel. -
1948
Displaced Persons Act allowed 205,000 refugees over two years; gave priority to Baltic States refugees; admitted as quota immigrants. Technical provisions discriminated against Catholics and Jews; those were dropped in 1953, and 205,000 refugees were accepted as non-quota immigrants. -
1950
The grounds for exclusion and deportation are expanded. All aliens required to report their addresses annually. -
1952
Immigration and nationality act eliminated race as a bar to immigration or citizenship. Japan's quota was set at 185 annually. China's stayed at 105; other Asian countries were given 100 a piece. Northern and western Europe's quota was placed at 85% of all immigrants. Tighter restrictions were placed on immigrants coming from British colonies in order to stem the tide of black West Indians entering under Britain's generous quota. Non-quota class enlarged to include husbands of American women. -
1953
The 1948 refugee law expanded to admit 200,000 above the existing limit -
1965
Hart-Celler Act abolished national origins quotas, establishing separate ceilings for the eastern (170,000) and western (120,000) hemispheres (combined in 1978). Categories of preference based on family ties, critical skills, artistic excellence, and refugee status -
1978
Separate ceilings for Western and Eastern hemispheric immigration combined into a worldwide limit of 290,000. -
1980
The Refugee Act removes refugees as a preference category; reduces worldwide ceiling for immigration to 270,000. -
1986
Immigration Reform and Control Act provided for amnesty for many illegal aliens and sanctions for employers hiring illegals. -
1989
A bill gives permanent status to non-immigrant registered nurses who have lived in US for at least three years and met established certification standards. -
1990
Immigration Act of 1990 limited unskilled workers to 10,000/year; skilled labor requirements and immediate family reunification major goals. Continued to promote nuclear family model. Foreign-born in US was 7%. -
2001
USA Patriot Act amended the Immigration and Nationality Act to broaden the scope of aliens ineligible for admission or deportable due to terrorist activities -
Arizona Lawc
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Alabama law
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Act of 1875
decision declared all state laws governing immigration unconstitutional