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Oct 11, 1492
Columbus Discovered America
Columbus and many others discovered America. They then immigrated there, killing many indigenous people. -
Period: Oct 11, 1492 to
Immigration Important Dates
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Naturalization Act of 1795
Raised the period of residence from two to five years before someone can get citzenship in America. The act specified that citiznenship was only for "free white persons". (Naturalization Act of 1795) -
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Gave approximately 80,000 Mexicans (that were living in Texas, the southwest, and California) citizenship into the United States and ended the Mexican-American war. (Treaty Information) -
Immigration Act
Established the Bureau of Immigration and the "first comprehensive law for immigration control", making it a policy to deport illegal immigrants in the U.S as well as a $300 fine. Also made it clear which people weren't allowed in the country (people who couldn't pay for themselves, didn't give proper identification, were mentally insane, etc.). -
Literacy Act
"Congress enacts a literacy requirement for immigrants by overriding President Woodrow Wilson’s veto. The law requires immigrants to be able to read 40 words in some language and bans immigration from Asia, except for Japan and the Philippines." (Citizenship Counts) -
Emergency Quota Act
(Emergency Quota Act)"Restricted immigration from any given country to 3% of the number of people from that country living in the US in 1910" This act was meant to be temporary but was not temporary and very important to future immigration. -
Creation Of Border Patrol
To try to get rid of "combat smuggling" and illegal immigration, the US creates a border patrol. Enforces laws and regulations of foreign born people in America, and those crossing the border- legally or illegally.(Border Patrol History) -
Immigration and Nationality Act
Stopped excluding people form Immigrating based soley on the country they came from, only said people who were "unlawful, immoral, diseased in any way, politically radical etc" weren't allowed to immigrate into America.
More Information -
The Immigration Reform And Control Act
"Allowed most illegal aliens, who had resided in the U.S. continuously since January 1 of 1982, to apply for legal status and prohibits employers from hiring illegal aliens." (Immigration Reform) -
Operation Gatekeeper
Reduced the amount of illegal immigrants entering san diego by 75%. It was an enhanced border enforcement program that was instituted under president Bill Clinton. Ended up causing more harm than good in amount of deaths. -
Border Safety Initiative (BSI)
(BSI)The Border Safety Initiative was put into place to help keep people near the southwest border and trying to cross the border safe. This was meant to prevent illegal immigrants from coming over, but safely, unlike with Operation Gatekeeper. There are 4 parts to this initiative: Prevention, Search and Rescue, Identification,and Tracking and Recording. The main part of this initiative was to keep the people on the Mexican side of the border informed of the most dangerous spots to cross the border. -
Bring Them Home Alive Act
"To provide for the granting of refugee status in the United States to nationals of certain foreign countries in which American Vietnam War POW/MIAs or American Korean War POW/MIAs may be present, if those nationals assist in the return to the United States of those POW/MIAs alive." (Immigration Legislation Online) -
Real ID Act
"national standards for drivers licenses and non-driver identification cards were established; definitions of terrorist organizations and terrorist activity were expanded; criteria for asylum eligibility was modified...waiver authority to construct barriers along the border was expanded; an aviation screening database was established." (US Immigration Legislation Online) -
Secure Fence Act
Put in place by George W Bush, it "addresses the evaluation and construction of physical barriers and advanced technology in reinforcing fencing along the southern U.S. border," It also was made to give the Department of Homeland Security operational control over the southwest border. (US Immigration Legislation Online) -
New Naturalization Exam
New naturalization exam is introduced. "In the citizenship test, the applicant for citizenship is asked up to 10 of the 100 questions. The interviewer reads the questions in English and the applicant must answer in English. In order to pass, at least 6 of the 10 questions must be answered correctly." (New Naturalization Test) -
SB1070
Gives police officers in Arizona the right to ask about a person's immigration status if they have reasonable doubt about that person's status. Some were worried it would lead to racial profiling, but the police officers have to have reasonable doubt, and can't pull someone over just for that. They would have to have been already pulled over for something else too. (SB1070's Impact)
