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Start of Colonial Immigration
In 1607, settlers arrived in the forthcoming United States. This was the beginning of a new nation heavily populated by the English. The English set a path for other European settlers for the coming future.
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[Link text](www.vahistorical.org)
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First Naturalization Act
Listed all of the rules which were required to be a US citizen. These rules did not apply to slaves, indentured servants or women because they were considered dependent and could not cast an independent vote. The law for citizenship then only applied to free white men.
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Alien and Sedition Acts
President John Adams signed into law the Alien and Sedition Acts which were put into place before the war with the French. These acts gave the President power to deport or imprison immigrants who were dangerous or spoke out against the government. This law also required a residency of 14 years to become a citizen in the US.
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Foreign Slave Trade Ends
President Jefferson ends foreign slave trade to prevent any further immigration. The slave which were illegally brought into America were now considered the first "illegal aliens" in the US. Although foreign slave trade was banned, this had to effect on slavery itself and was still taking place domestically. Law was created in 1807, but took effect in 1808.
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Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
This treaty allowed for the US to take land which was previously Mexico and end the war between Mexico and the US. The US in turn received Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. These areas had many Mexican people in them and if they were residing in what was to become America land, they were granted citizenship.
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14th Amendment Gives Citizenship to Those Born in US
The fourteenth amendment states that anyone who is born in or under US law and ground, is naturally a citizen. In March 1898, this amendment was fought for because it would mean that all those who immigrated from European countries and had children would be considered illegal aliens and this was something that the government did not want.
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Mexican Revolution
This event in Mexico drove many of their citizens to travel North into the states. Also, because World War I was in affect, many American businesses and farmers needed help so they hired these Mexican people and paid them much more than what they would have earned working in Mexico.
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Immigration Act (Johnson-Reed Act) of 1924
This immigration act reduced the ration of the amount of immigrants allowed into the states. Only 150,000 immigrants per year from Europe were allowed into the US. This act closed the door to open immigration to all people finally and it included white people. It was still heavily directed toward other races though, like the Japanese.
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Executive Order 9066
President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 to send thousands of Japanese Americans and others to internment camps. This gave the military great power in relocating all of these people to camps and one of the states which held these people was Arizona.
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The Organic Act
This act gave citizenship rights to those who were born in Hawaii in and after 1898 when the 14th amendment was challenged. Most people in Hawaii at the time were Japanese and therefore the United States government did not consider them to be citizens. Once this act passed though that all changed and more people came to areas like California.
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Minuteman Project
The Minutemen Project was a group of men who called themselves, "the minutemen" were stationed along the US and Mexico border to track illegal immigrants and deport them. American citizens volunteered for this job and stated that it was their duty as the US government is not fulfilling their duty of blocking off US and Mexico borders. Around 150 people were arrested by this volunteer group. We can see how events from the past have carried all the way to the 2000's. -
Secure Fence Act
This act authorized the legal building of a physical fence between the US and Mexico border in California to prevent Mexican people from trying to enter the United States. This act also allowed for usage of surveillance cameras and technological advances which would ensure the unlawful entry of people and illegal imports. -
Arizona Bill (SB 1070)
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed into the law the most controversial and restrictive ban on immigration. This bill stated that it was an Arizona state crime to be in the US illegally and that any legal immigrant must at all times carry their citizen paperwork incase of Arizona police being able to legally question their legality. This bill was fought against as it was extremely controversial and would cause racial profiling in the state.
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U.S. District Judge Blocks Key Parts of Arizona's Anti-Illegal Immigration Laws
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton allowed for the Obama administration to outlaw portions of the Arizona Bill (SB 1070) because it was up to the federal law, not states to enforce immigration laws. This block stopped AZ police from being able to request citizenship papers on events like a traffic stop. Also, the block prevented the AZ government from requiring that immigrants carry their citizenship papers with them as this was a violation against their human rights. -
President Obama Announces Prevention of Illegal Immigrant Deportation
President Barack Obama in 2014 challenged Republican ideals in the idea that he would prevent millions of illegal immigrants from being deported out of the US. This would allow illegal immigrant parents of US born people to remain in the country temporarily without threat of deportation. He also called for undocumented immigrant to look for work without punishment, although they would still not be allowed to vote or qualify for health insurance.
