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Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
Congress passed this act to stop the entry of Chinese immigrants into the United States for 10 years. -
1888 & 1891
Allowed the national gov. not only to exclude certain individuals (convicts, prostitutes, and insane persons) but also to deport aliens who entered the country in violation of these immigration laws. -
Quota Act of 1921
Act limited the annual number of immigrants from each nationality to 3% of the number of foeign-born persons of that nationality living in the U.S. in 1910. -
Immigration Act of 1924 and National Origins Act of 1929
Established 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 yr.). -
1965
Eliminated quotas based on national origin. As many as 270,000 immigrants could be admitted each year without regard to nationality, country, origin, or race. -
1986 - Immigration Reform and Control Act
Imposed severe penalties on emplyers who willfully hired illegal aliens. -
1987-88 - 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. -
Immigration Act of 1990
Raised legal immigration levels by about 40%, to 700,000 per year. -
1994 - Proposition 187
Denied public social services, publicly funded health care, and public education to people who were suspected of being illegal aliens. -
Immigration Reform Act of 1996
Put to effect a number of provisions to stem illegal immigration. -
Welfare Reform Act of 1996
Prohibited immigrants, including legal immigrants who are not yet citizens, for receiving most forms of public assistance, including welfare benefits. -
1997
Many refugees automatically became eligible for permanent legal residence. Others were allowed to remain in the U.S. while the gov. processed their applications for permanent legal residence.
