Transcript AMH Chapter 23 section 3

Chapter 23
Section 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 onefourth 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.