-
This was the first statute in the United States to codify naturalization law. The Naturalization Act of 1790 restricted citizenship to "any alien, being a free white person" who had been in the U.S. for two years.
-
Congress passes an act requiring shipmasters to deliver a manifest enumerating all aliens transported for immigration. The Secretary of State is required to report annually to Congress the number of immigrants admitted.
-
The Mexican-American War ends: U.S. acquires additional territory and people under its jurisdiction.
-
The Homestead Act of 1862 allows for any individual, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or country of origin, over the age of 21 or head of household to claim up to 160 acres of free land if they have lived on it for five years and made the required agricultural improvements.
-
The Dillingham Commission identifies Mexican laborers as the best solution to the Southwest labor shortage. Mexicans are exempted from immigrant “head taxes” set in 1903 and 1907.
-
This is a United States federal law that limited the annual number of immigrants who could be admitted from any country to 2% of the number of people from that country who were already living in the United States in 1890. This was done to restrict the number of immigrants entering the U.S.
-
Congress allows for importation of agricultural workers from within North, Central, and South America. The Bracero Program allows Mexican laborers to work in the U.S. while guaranteeing them basic human rights and a minimum wage.
-
The Immigration and Nationality Act allows individuals of all races to be eligible for naturalization. The act also limits immigration from the Eastern Hemisphere while leaving the Western Hemisphere unrestricted, establishes preferences for skilled workers and relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens; and tightens security and screening standards and procedures.
-
Congress amends the 1948 refugee policy to allow for 214,000 more refugees to enter the country.
-
The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) legalizes illegal aliens residing in the U.S. unlawfully since 1982, as long as they had committed no other crimes and could show a basic knowledge of U.S. history, government, and the English language. This act also made it illegal for employers to knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
-
Russell Pearce writes a law, and the Arizona Legislature passes the law which requires proof of legal citizenship in order to obtain a driver's license.
-
Voters ban bilingual education in Arizona, requiring English Immersion for all students. Students are no longer permitted to speak their native language in schools if that language is one other than English.
-
This law requires that persons must provide proof of citizenship in order to vote in Arizona. It also made it more difficult for immigrant to vote. This law was later ruled invalid.
-
English as the Official Language Act was passed by voters to amend Arizona's constitution in order to make English the official language in the state.
-
The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhood Act made it a state misdemeanor for an immigrant to be in Arizona without carrying the required documents. It also made it a requirement for law enforcement officials to attempt to determine an individual's immigration status if there is a reasonable suspicion they may be an illegal immigrant.
