The first move stopping immigration decided by Congress, was a law in 1862, restricting American vessels to transport Chinese immigrants to the U.S. The Alien Contract Labor Laws of 1885, 1887, 1888, and 1891 restricted the immigration to the U.S. of people entering the country to work under contracts made before their arrival. Alien workers, under these laws, were allowed to enter the U.S. to work new jobs. By this time anti-immigrant felling rose with the flood of immigrants, and in this period the anti-foreign political party, the Know-Nothings, was already born.
             After World War I, a marked increase in racism and the growth of isolationist sentiment in the U.S. led to demands for further tight legislation. In 1921 a congressional act provided for a quota system for immigrants. The number of aliens of any nationality admitted to the U.S. in a year could not exceed 3 percent of the number of foreign-born residents of that nationality living in the U.S. in 1910. This law applied to nations of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Asian Russia, and certain islands in the Atlantic and Pacific. In the 1980's concern about the surge of illegal aliens into the U.S. has led Congress to pass legislation aimed at cutting illegal immigration. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 allows most illegal aliens who have resided in the U.S. regularly since January 1, 1982, to apply for legal status. Also, the law prohibits employers from hiring illegal aliens and mandates penalties for violations.
             Debate over immigration and immigration policy is not new to the nation's history. From time to time, Congress wanted legislation to control the flow of immigration. As immigration rises and hatred grows more laws will be implemented trying to release some of the pressure. Illegal immigration has some pros and cons. I will discuss the pros first and explain them briefly in order for you to get a better understandin...