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Caterina S. Kretz

Mary Ann Romero

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1790 Naturalization Act: stated that any foreigner, being a free white person, may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States.

1875: Supreme Court officially regulated that the United States immigration is the authority of the Federal Government.

1882 The Chinese Exclusion Act: Banned particular laborers from immigrating to the United States.

1885 and 1887: Alien Contract Labor laws which banned certain workers from immigrating to the United States.

1891: The Federal Government appropriated responsibility of inspecting, admitting, rejecting, and processing all immigrants seeking admission to the United States.

1892: The New Year brought in a new Federal United States immigration station opened on Ellis Island in New York Harbor.

1903: This Act reiterate the 1891 provisions related to land borders and requested rules comprised to entry as well as checking on aliens transversing the Mexican border.

1907: The United States Immigration Act restructure the states adjacent to Mexico (Arizona, New Mexico and a big area of Texas) into the Mexican Border District to curb the ebb of immigrants into the United States.

1917 - 1924: A number of laws were legislated to help restrict the number of new immigrants. These laws entrenched the quota system and dictated passport requirements. They extended the classification of forbidden aliens and declared all Asians illegal with the exception of the Japanese people.

1924 Act: Decreased the number of United States immigration visas and assigned them on the premise of national origin.

1940 The Alien Registration Act: Mandated that all aliens (non-United States citizens) within the U.S. to disclose with the Government and obtain an Alien Registration Receipt Card (the forerunner of the "Green Card").

1950 The Enactment of the Internal Security Act: Made the Alien Registration Receipt Card that more important. Immigrants with legal status had their cards substituted with what commonly became known as the "green card" (Form I-151).

1952 Act: Authorized the modern day United States immigration system. It gave birth to a quota system which dictates caps on a per-country basis. It also set up the priority system that gave precedence to family members and people with exceptional skills.

1968 Act: Eradicated immigration discrimination on the premise of race, place of birth, sex and residence in the United States. It also authoritatively prohibited limitation on Oriental United States immigration.

1976 Act: Eradicated special behavior towards residents of the Western Hemisphere.

1980 Act: Created the universal policy controlling the admission of refugees.

1986 Act: Concentrated on lessening illegal immigration into the United States. It permitted hundred of thousands of illegal immigrants to become legal citizens. This Act is commonly referred as the 1986 Immigration Amnesty. It also included the employer sanctions program which punishes employers that give a job to illegal laborers. It also enacted severe laws to avert phony marriages.

1990 Act: Created an annual restrictions for stipulated categories of immigrants. Its purpose is to help United States businesses to attract skilled foreign workers; therefore, it would incease the business class categories to accommodate persons who can make educational, professional or financial contributions. It established the Immigrant Investor Program.

2001: The United States of America Patriot Act was enacted to restore and strengthen America by giving the necessary tools needed to hinder and prevent terrorism.

2003: The formation of the United States Citizenship and United States Immigration Services (USCIS) began in March 1, 2003. The United States immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) became part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department’s new USCIS function is to handle United States immigration services and benefits. This entails citizenship, applications for permanent residence, non-immigrant applications, asylum, and refugee services. United States immigration enforcement functions now belongs to the Department's Border and Transportation Security Directorate, also known as the Bureau of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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