Genealogy - RESTRICTIVE IMMIGRATION LAWS

by Joelle Steele

The United States has always had restrictions on who can enter the country. The following are laws that were active during various times that may have impacted on your ancestor's immigration.

Immigration Act of 1819
Passenger lists required, contagious diseases required quarantine.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848
Citizenship to Mexicans in territory ceded to US by Mexico.

14th Amendment 1868
Citizenship to persons born or naturalized in the United States.

Chinese Exclusion Act 1882
Banned Chinese immigration and citizenship (repealed WWII).

Contract Labor Law of 1885
No immigrant can have a job or promise of a job before landing.

Immigration Act of 1891
Bans and deports people with certain diseases, criminals, and polygamists.

Immigration Act of 1907
Limits on Japanese; bars "defectives," diseased, immoral, and orphans.

Immigration Act of 1917
Bans healthy people over 16 who can't read any language.

National Origins Act of 1921
Limits immigrants to 3% of their nationality living in US in 1910.

National Origins Act of 1924
Limits to 2% of a nationality living in U.S. as of 1890; 153,000 to
be admitted each year (reduced to 150,000 in 1929); restricted Asians.

Displaced Persons Act of 1948
Allows WWII refugees to enter, as per 1924 act.

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (McCarran-Walter Act)
Consolidated existing laws and created preferences for skilled workers and
relatives of US citizens, but maintained quota systems based on national origin.

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (Hart-Celler Act)
Repealed the National origins quota in favor of family reunification and
skilled immigrants.

Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (Simpson-Mazzoli Act)
Provided amnesty for some undocumented immigration and imposed
sanctions on US employers who hired undocumented workers.

Immigration Act of 1990 (IMMACT 90)
Increased the number of immigrant visas and revised the preference
categories, while expanding immigration options for family
reunification and skilled workers.