Immigration Reform

Brief History of Immigration Reform in America Many immigrants came to America seeking greater economic opportunity, while some, such as the Pilgrims in the early 1600s, arrived in search of religious freedom The first significant federal legislation restricting immigration was the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act Individual states regulated immigration prior to the 1892 opening of Ellis Island, the country’s first federal immigration station. New laws in 1965 ended the quota system that favored European immigrants, and today, the majority of the country’s immigrants hail from Asia and Latin America.

The Obama Administration and Immigration Reform “This week, the Senate will consider a common-sense, bipartisan bill that is the best chance we’ve had in years to fix our broken immigration system. It will build on what we’ve done and continue to strengthen our borders. It will make sure that businesses and workers are all playing by the same set of rules, and it includes tough penalties for those who don’t. It’s fair for middle-class families, by making sure that those who are brought into the system pay their fair share in taxes and for services. And it’s fair for those who try to immigrate legally by stopping those who try to skip the line. It’s the right thing to do.”- President Obama The Obama Adminstration Four Points Border Control Legal Immigration Citzenship Cracking down on Employees hiring undocumented workers

House and Senate Republicans on Immigration Many House Republicans want a “conservative immigration plan” While other House Republicans want to go along with a “bipartisan immigration plan” which is lead by the Gang of Eight