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The Naturalization Act of 1790, the country's first naturalization statute, says that unindentured white males must live in the U.S. for two years before becoming citizens.
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The Naturalization Act of 1790 is amended and extends the residency requirement to five years.
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Dred Scott decision declared free Africans non-citizens.
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African Americans gained citizenship with 14th Amendment.
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The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first federal immigration law suspended Chinese immigration for 10 years and barred Chinese in U.S. from citizenship. Also barred convicts, lunatics, and others unable to care for themselves from entering. Head tax placed on immigrants.
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Construction of Angel Island Immigration Station began in the area known as China Cove. Surrounded by public controversy from its inception, the station was finally put into operation in 1910. Although it was billed as the "Ellis Island of the West", within the Immigration Service it was known as "The Guardian of the Western Gate" and 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.
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Immigration Act provided for literacy tests for those over 16 and established an "Asiatic Barred Zone," which barred all immigrants from Asia.
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Congress passes the Married Women's Act of 1922, also known as the "Cable Act." It repeals the provision of the Expatriation Act of 1907 that revoked the citizenship of women who married foreigners.
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Japanese made ineligible for citizenship.
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Because so many American men are fighting in World War II, the U.S. faced a shortage of farm workers and begins hiring Mexican workers in what was known as the bracero program. About 5 million Mexican workers participate in the program.
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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.
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The Refugee Act removes refugees as a preference category; reduces worldwide ceiling for immigration to 270,000.
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Immigration Reform and Control Act provided for amnesty for many illegal aliens and sanctions for employers hiring illegals.
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The REAL ID Act of 2005 requires states to verify a person’s immigration status or citizenship before issuing licenses, expands restrictions on refugees requesting asylum, and limits the habeas corpus rights of immigrants.
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President Barack Obama announced he was taking executive action to delay the deportation of some 5 million illegal immigrants. Under the new policy people who are parents of U.S. citizens or legal residents will receive deportation deferrals and authorization to work legally if they have been in the U.S. for more than five years and pass background checks.
