CHAPITRE  7   L’IMMIGRATION  AUX  ETATS-­‐UNIS     LES  LOIS  (T.Jerebitz,  MP)     Lot  of  decisions  was  implemented  by  Congress  or  the  States  to  keep  control  of  newcomers  when  immigration  became  the  main  source  of   the  population  increase  in  USA.   First  in  1790  to  become  a  citizen  in  the  13  States  we  have  to  be  white  and  have  2  years  of  residency  but  war  have  to  pass  this  requirement   to  14  years.  2  others  acts  authorized  deportation  of  people  who   could  be  dangerous  for  the  safety  of  the  US.  

1790:  uniform    rules  for  13  States  for   ciazenship  

1819:  Steerage  Act,  First  significan   federal  law  on  immigraaon   1862:  Homestead  Act  

1864:  Conctract  Labour  law  

1875:  the  Act  of  March  3rd    

The  Steerage  Act  of  1819  limited  the  numbers  of  immigrant  on  a   th ship.  Then  in  the  middle  of  19  century,  some  States  enacted   legislation  for  newcomers,  especially  paupers.  For  instance  in   California  in  1962,  Chinese  immigrants  had  a  capitation  tax.   Nevertheless,  the  1962  Homestead  Act  and  the  Contract  Labor   Laws  of  1864  favored  immigration.  One  offered  free  land  and  the   other  encourage  employed  to  hire  immigrants.   Chinese  had  difficulties  to  come  in  USA.  Indeed  some  laws   rd restrict  their  coming  like  the  Act  of  March  3  or  the  Chinese   Exclusion  Act  of  1882  and  this  one  was  the  first  to  target  a   specific  group.  Until  the  Chinese  Exclusion  Repeal  Act  in  1973   Chinese  couldn’t  demand  for  citizenship  but  there  is  still  a  limit   for  105  Chinese  one  year.   Other  immigration  law  authorized  to  bare  the  country  for   lunatics,  polygamists,  persons  convicted  of  crimes,  or  people  with   contagious  diseases.    

2  January  1892:  opening  Ellis  Island  

That  was  in  1892  on  Ellis  Island  (a  federal  immigration  station)  that   the  operation  of  the  Immigration  Service  (a  Federal  function)  began.   Many  others  laws  restricted  immigration  or  the  rights  to  become   citizen.  Majorities  of  these  laws  was  decided  by  the  government  but   individual  Sates  have  their  restriction  too.  

1943:  the  Chinese  Exclusion   Repeal  Act  

1924:  Naaonal  Origins  Act  or   Johnson  Reed  Act  

2001:  the  Patriot  Act  

In  1924,  the  Johnson  Reect  Act  favored  Northern  and  Western   Europe  Immigrants  to  82%  against  the  rest  of  the  World  but  was   repealed  only  in  1965.     At  times  and  their  needs,  the  US  government  privileged  immigrants   from  different  countries.   The  2001  Patriot  Act  amended  the  Immigrant  and  National  Act  to   reduce  aliens  legible  for  admission  and  to  deport  all  people  suspect   of  terrorist  activities.  But  they  also  offer  a  Green  Card;  recall  the   Permanent  Resident  Card,  to  50000  immigrants  coming  from   countries  with  a  low  immigration  rate.  That’s  a  computer  which   chooses  randomly  there,  every  year.  

Now  more  and  more  states  have  passed  strict  laws  against  the   immigration.  That’s  right  in  states  even  if  there  are  far  from  the  borders  of  the  country  like  Arizona.  However  all  bills  aren’t  against  illegal   immigration  for  example  in  Utah  where  undocumented  immigrants  can  work.