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Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
This Act stopped entry of Chinese immigrants into the United States for ten years. This act was the first act to establish the federal government's right to restrict immigration based on nationalities. -
1888 and 1891
More acts were passed in these years. They allowed the national government not only to exclude certain individuals--convicts, prostitutes, and insane persons, for example--but also to deport aliens who entered the country in violation of these immigration laws. -
Quota Act of 1921
This act limited the annual number of immigrants from each nationality to 3 percent of the number of foreign-born persons of that nationality who were living in the United States in 1910. Most Asian groups were not included in the list of nationalities. So, they could not legally immigrate to the United States for some time. This act did not apply to certain categories of educated people, such as professors, ministers, doctors, and layers. -
Immigration Act of 1924 and National Origins Act of 1929
These acts established a new quota system for each nationality and set a limit on the total number of immigrants to be allowed entry at all (150,000 per year). The quota system that resulted from these acts served as the basis for U.S. immigration policy for more than 35 years. -
The 1965 law
This law had eliminated quotas based on national origin. As many as 270,000 immigrants could be admitted each year without regard to nationality, country of origin, or race. No more than 20,000 persons could come from any one country, however. Immigrants that were close relatives of American citizens were given special status, as were aliens with specialized occupational talents. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act
This act imposed severe penalties on emplyers who willfully hired illegal aliens (fines range from $250-$10,000 for each offense). Employers who repeatedly violate this law can be jailed for up to six months. -
Amnesty Program
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. Eighteen months later, they could apply for permanent residency. Eventually, they could apply for citizenship. -
Immigration Act of 1990
This act raised legal immigration levels by about 40 percent, to 700,000 per year. It stressed family reunification, provided legal status for certain illegal immigrants, and struck down barriers blocking people with certain political beliefs from entry. The most significant feature was a tripling of the number of visas granted to highly skilled professionals, such as engineers, researchers, and scientists. -
Proposition 187
This denied public social services, publicly funded health care, and public ed. to people who were suspected of being illegal aliens. It required that individuals who were suspected of being illegal aliens be interviewed, questioned, and forced to produce legal residency documents. It required all law enforcement agencies in CA to report anyone suspected of being in the U.S. illegally. Eventually, a federal court held that the state could not deny children of illegal immigrants a public ed. -
Welfare Reform Act of 1996
This act 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
This act put into effect a number of provisions to stem illegal immigration. -
New Policy
Under this new, revised policy, many refugees automatically became eligible for permanent legal residence. Other illegal immigrants were allowed to remain in the U.S. while the government processed their applications for permanent legal residence. Additionally, immigrants were again made eligible for public-assistance benefits.
