The immigration debate
The history of immigration in the United States
The history of the present King of Great Britain is a
history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. …He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
1892 - Ellis Island, NY set up to regulate immigration 1917 - Immigration Act of 1917 - Further restrictions on

immigration, expanding the classes of foreigners excluded from US. It imposed a literacy test and designated an Asiatic Barred Zone. 1921 - Congress establishes first quota system for immigrants 1924 - National Origins Act reduced quotas of immigrants deemed "less desirable", such as Russian (Jews) and Italians (Catholics) 1942 - Bracero program 1948 - Displaced Persons Act 1952 - Immigration and Nationality Act - Consolidation of immigration laws and abolished Asian Barred Zone. 1953 - Refugee Relief Act 1954 - Operation Wetback
1965 - Immigration and Nationality Act - national origin quotas

abolished, annual limit imposed on visas for immigrants 1980 - Refugge Act increased overall refugee quotas 1986 - Immigration Reform and Control Act granted lawful permanent residency to over 2.7 million undocumented immigrants 1990 - Immigration Act established categories of employment and placed cap of number of non-immigrant workers 1992 - Chinese Student Protection 1996 - Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act - imposted strict penalties against illegal immigration and expanded definition of deportable offenses
Early years
6,000 a year
(numbers are uncertain)
French refugees (slave revolt in Haiti) After 1820 federal records were kept

Irish (famine of 1845-1849) .5 million Germans 90% of population was native persons" residing in the US who renounce allegiance to former country 1798 - Alien & Sedition Acts - President is given the right to expel "aliens" deemed dangerous to country (only lasted a few years) 1850s - Emergence of "Know Nothing Party" seeking to "purify" the nation by restricting immigration and altering citizenship requirements (lasted less than 10 years) 1882 - Chinese Exclusion Act - Fear of competition from Chinese workers led to prevention of any further Chinese entering the US 1885 - Contract Labor Laws - Prohibited contracts for cheap foreign labor
1850 first census to ask for “place of birth”

Timeline of US immigration laws
1776 - Unrestricted 1795 - Naturalization Act - Citizenship limited to "free white