Ok, I found a great site, Rapid Immigration, with everything you'd want to know about immigration. I think it's very interesting how our rules and social attitudes evolved. Basically, the US limits immigration to 700,000 per year. And there's quotas from different countries so that one country doesn't have all the slots. If there weren't the limit, millions would immigrate here and the country would have to absorb them all. If that were the case, there wouldn't be enough jobs for everyone and there would most likely be rampant poverty which leads to more crime, etc. Sounds like a good reason to me to enforce laws against illegal immigration. Plus, I thought everyone else in the world hated America?
Significant Historic Dates Affecting US immigration
Naturalization Act of 1790 - Stipulated that "any alien, being a free white person, may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States"
1875 - Supreme Court declared that regulation of US immigration is the responsibility of the Federal Government.
1882 The Chinese Exclusion Act - prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States.
1885 and 1887 - Alien Contract Labor laws which prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States.
1891 - The Federal Government assumed the task of inspecting, admitting, rejecting, and processing all immigrants seeking admission to the U.S.
1892 - On January 2, a new Federal US immigration station opened on Ellis Island in New York Harbor.
1903 - This Act restated the 1891 provisions concerning land borders and called for rules covering entry as well as inspection of aliens crossing the Mexican border.
1907 The US immigration Act of 1907 - reorganized the states bordering Mexico (Arizona, New Mexico and a large part of Texas) into Mexican Border District to stem the flow of immigrants into the U.S.
1917 - 1924 - A series of laws were enacted to further limit the number of new immigrants. These laws established the quota system and imposed passport requirements. They expanded the categories of excludable aliens and banned all Asians except Japanese.
1924 Act - Reduced the number of US immigration visas and allocated them on the basis of national origin.
1940 The Alien Registration Act - required all aliens (non-U.S. citizens) within the United States to register with the Government and receive an Alien Registration Receipt Card (the predecessor of the "green card").
1950 Passage of the Internal Security Act - which rendered the Alien Registration Receipt Card even more valuable. Immigrants with legal status had their cards replaced with what generally became known as the "green card" (Form I-151).
1952 Act - Established the modern day US immigration system. It created a quota system which imposes limits on a per-country basis. It also established the preference system that gave priority to family members and people with special skills.
1968 Act - Eliminated US immigration discrimination based on race, place of birth, sex and residence. It also officially abolished restrictions on Oriental US immigration.
1976 Act - Eliminated preferential treatment for residents of the Western Hemisphere.
1980 Act - Established a general policy governing the admission of refugees.
1986 Act - Focused on curtailing illegal US immigration. It legalized hundred of thousands of illegal immigrants. It also introduced the employer sanctions program which fines employers for hiring illegal workers. It also passed tough laws to prevent bogus marriage fraud.
1990 Act - Established an annual limit for certain categories of immigrants. It was aimed at helping U.S. businesses attract skilled foreign workers; thus, it expanded the business class categories to favor persons who can make educational, professional or financial contributions. It created the Immigrant Investor Program.
USA Patriot Act 2001 - Uniting and Strengthening America by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism
Creation of the USCIS 2003 - As of March 1, 2003, the US immigration and Naturalization Service becomes part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department’s new U.S. Citizenship and US immigration Services (USCIS) function is to handle US immigration services and benefits, including citizenship, applications for permanent residence, non-immigrant applications, asylum, and refugee services. US immigration enforcement functions are now under the Department's Border and Transportation Security Directorate, known as the Bureau of US immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE)
Monday, April 10, 2006
Immigration 101
I’m sure you all are as curious as I am about the hoopla that’s going on with the immigration reform. I’ve been hearing it on the news and apparently the “Mexicans” went on strike recently (are “Mexicans” the only immigrants?). I got to thinking about immigration and have lots of questions.
1. Can a person from Guatemala one day just say “hey, I think I’m going to move to Florida this week”?
2. What’s the criteria for immigration? Do you have to have a job lined up? How are you supposed to find a job if you can’t come here to look?
3. I hear stories about people being deported. Or maybe that’s just on TV. If deportation happens, who decides who gets to stay and who has to go?
4. At what point in history did the US government decide to stop or severely limit letting people in?
5. What exactly is the big deal about this immigration reform? Sounds like the government is actually going to enforce existing laws.
And I do understand some of the bigger picture. If we didn’t slow the influx of immigrants, communities wouldn’t have time to absorb so many without a lot of problems (see Katrina Victims for an example). And, I totally resent having to pay, through taxes, for services for non-taxpayers, including welfare junkies and illegal immigrants.
I’m going to do a little research and let y’all know what I come up with. Please feel free to respond if you know the answer to any of these.
1. Can a person from Guatemala one day just say “hey, I think I’m going to move to Florida this week”?
2. What’s the criteria for immigration? Do you have to have a job lined up? How are you supposed to find a job if you can’t come here to look?
3. I hear stories about people being deported. Or maybe that’s just on TV. If deportation happens, who decides who gets to stay and who has to go?
4. At what point in history did the US government decide to stop or severely limit letting people in?
5. What exactly is the big deal about this immigration reform? Sounds like the government is actually going to enforce existing laws.
And I do understand some of the bigger picture. If we didn’t slow the influx of immigrants, communities wouldn’t have time to absorb so many without a lot of problems (see Katrina Victims for an example). And, I totally resent having to pay, through taxes, for services for non-taxpayers, including welfare junkies and illegal immigrants.
I’m going to do a little research and let y’all know what I come up with. Please feel free to respond if you know the answer to any of these.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Baby Action
Oh my gosh, Babygirl is walking! It apparently started last weekend when she “let go” and stepped a couple of steps for her Grandmommy P. Then on Monday, we stopped Big D’s house while we were out walking. Babygirl saw Remy (the French bulldog) and let go of my hand and took two steps to Remy so she could tackle him. Best baby-dog ever, by the way.
Mapgeek and I are babysitting Bandit, aka Track Star, my brother and sista-in-law’s cat, while they are away. Babygirl LOVES this cat. Best baby-cat ever, by the way. You’ve never seen such a cat. He loves to be around people and just follows us around the house. And he purrs and snuggles up against Babygirl, all while she’s pulling his tail and grabbing his collar. Anyways, she walks to him constantly. A few steps here, a few steps there…
We also attempted to start swimming lessons this week. More for Mommy’s sake than Babygirl’s. We’re taking swimming at a local dive shop, SeaVentures, that happens to have an indoor pool. We’re also taking with one of our fellow Stroller Striders and her son. I got Babygirl all suited up in the brand new swim diapers and the cutest new bathing suit, when Sister Stroller Strider walked in and informed the 12 of us (6 mommies and 6 babies) that class was cancelled. Someone threw up and no one could enter the pool for 30 minutes. Basically our entire class time. All 12 of us were very disappointed and the mommies were discussing the fine art of drinking pool water and barfing, when the throw-up boy’s mommy apologized. I felt so horrible for her because it really wasn’t that big of a deal. I mean, sure the dive shop is refunding us for that class, but who’s to say Babygirl won’t be the upchucker next week.
Lots going on here in the fine town of Roswell. More to come!
Mapgeek and I are babysitting Bandit, aka Track Star, my brother and sista-in-law’s cat, while they are away. Babygirl LOVES this cat. Best baby-cat ever, by the way. You’ve never seen such a cat. He loves to be around people and just follows us around the house. And he purrs and snuggles up against Babygirl, all while she’s pulling his tail and grabbing his collar. Anyways, she walks to him constantly. A few steps here, a few steps there…
We also attempted to start swimming lessons this week. More for Mommy’s sake than Babygirl’s. We’re taking swimming at a local dive shop, SeaVentures, that happens to have an indoor pool. We’re also taking with one of our fellow Stroller Striders and her son. I got Babygirl all suited up in the brand new swim diapers and the cutest new bathing suit, when Sister Stroller Strider walked in and informed the 12 of us (6 mommies and 6 babies) that class was cancelled. Someone threw up and no one could enter the pool for 30 minutes. Basically our entire class time. All 12 of us were very disappointed and the mommies were discussing the fine art of drinking pool water and barfing, when the throw-up boy’s mommy apologized. I felt so horrible for her because it really wasn’t that big of a deal. I mean, sure the dive shop is refunding us for that class, but who’s to say Babygirl won’t be the upchucker next week.
Lots going on here in the fine town of Roswell. More to come!
Saturday, April 01, 2006
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