Chapter 23Section 3

Immigration

The Immigration Act of 1965

• The Immigration Act of 1965 got rid of the national origins quota system and gave preference to people with close relatives who were U.S. citizens.

• The Immigration Act of 1965 also introduced limits on immigration from the Western Hemisphere.

Migration Chains…

• This caused migration chains. • As immigrants became citizens, they sent for

relatives in their home countries. • Immigration from non-European countries

grew. • The new law was presented as an extension of

America’s growing commitment to equal rights for non-European people.

Refugees

• Beginning in 1948 refugees, from countries ravaged by World War II were admitted to the United States.

• Refugees are people who flee their country due to persecution based on race, religion, or political beliefs.

Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

• Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 to stop illegal immigration.

• It punished employers who hired illegal immigrants. It made border controls stronger.

• The law also gave amnesty—or a pardon—to people who had entered the country illegally before January 1, 1982.

But illegal immigration was still a problem.

• In 1996 Congress passed a law that required families sponsoring an immigrant to have an income above the poverty level.

• It also strengthened border control and toughened laws against smuggling people into the country.

The USA Patriot Act

• The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, also led to changes in immigration laws.

• The USA Patriot Act made border control and customs inspections even stronger.

• Immigration now came under the control of the newly created Department of Homeland Security.

States with more immigrants

• More immigrants moved to some states than other states.

• In 1990 California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Florida had the most immigrants.

Where are they coming from…

• More than half of immigrants who arrived in the 1990s came from Latin America.

• Approximately one-fourth came from Asia.

• Only about 10 percent of the immigrants who arrived in the 1990s came from Europe.

Cuban Refugees

• Many immigrants arriving in the United States were refugees.

• So many Cubans immigrants settled in the Miami area that only Havana, Cuba is home to more Cubans.

• Many of the Cubans who came into the United States arrived after the 1959 Cuban Revolution.

Refugees from Vietnam

• The Vietnam War also created refugees.

• Many people from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia settled in the United States after 1974.

Undocumented Aliens• The amnesty program of 1986

intended to eliminate the problem of undocumented aliens, but the number of immigrants tripled over the next 20 years.

• The largest number of these came from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

• Americans were divided over how to handle unauthorized immigrants.

What should we do with them…

• What do we do with undocumented aliens:– Some people thought they should be allowed to

obtain driver’s licenses, send their children to public school, and receive government services.

– Other people thought they should be deported. – Still others thought they should be able to get

temporary visas. • After that, they could earn permanent residence if they

learned English, paid back taxes, and had no criminal record.

2006 Immigration Reform • In 2006 President George W.

Bush focused on immigration reform.

• Congress was split on how to solve the problem of undocumented aliens. Most senators wanted tougher enforcement of immigration laws.

• They also wanted some kind of earned citizenship for undocumented immigrants, or aliens.

The U.S. House of Representatives

• The House wanted to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.

• Congress debated a bill that would allow criminal prosecution of unauthorized aliens. – Latinos throughout the

country protested this.

Other Options

• Some wanted to start a guest-worker program and find a way to legalize unauthorized immigrants that were already in the country.

• Many undocumented immigrants had lived in the United States for years.

Separating Family Members

• Many had raised families. • Their children born in the United States were

citizens and could not be deported. • Deporting undocumented aliens would mean

separating family members.