Immigration Reform Timeline
Federal Immigration Laws and Policies — 1891 to Present
1891 — The Immigration Act of 1891, the first comprehensive law for national control of immigration, establishes the Bureau of Immigration within the Treasury Department, restricts immigration by certain classes of persons, and directs the deportation of anyone entering the United States illegally. 1903 — The Immigration Act of 1903 adds to the list of inadmissible aliens, extends to three years the period during which an inadmissible alien could be deported, and provides for the deportation, within two years, of aliens who became public charges. 1917 — The Immigration Act of 1917 codifies all previously enacted exclusion provisions and broadens…
