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Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
Congress responded to the influx of Asians with this Act in 1882, which stopped entry of Chinese immigrants into the United States for ten years. -
Acts passed in 1888 and 1891
These Acts allowed the national government not only to exclude certain individuals, 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 U.S. in 1910. -
Immigration Act of 1924 and the 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). -
1965 law
This 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. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act
This Act imposed severe penalties on employers who willfully hired illegal aliens. This law also included an amnesty program. -
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
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. -
Proposition 187
This proposition was put on the ballot to deny public social services, publicly funded health care, and public education to people who were suspected of being illegal aliens. It required that induviduals who were suspected of being illegal aliens be interviewed, questioned, and forced to produce legal residency documents. It also required all law enforcement agencies in California to report anyone suspected of being in the United States illegally. -
Welfare Reform Act of 1996
This act prohibited immigrants, including legal immigrants who are not yet citizens, from receiving most forms of public assistance, indluding welfare benefits. -
Immigration Reform Act of 1996
This act put into effect a number of provisions to stem illegal immigration. Examples- doubled the number of border patrol agents, increased penalties for immigrant smuggling and document fraud -
1997
Congress revised its policy in 1997. Under this new 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. Immigrants were again made eligible for public-assistance benefits.
