Immigration: A Catholic
Response
Part I:
U.S. History of Immigration
For generations, our families
have migrated…
Statue of Liberty
Give me your tired,
your poor,
Your huddled masses
yearning to breathe
free.
The wretched refuse
of your teeming shore.
Send these,
the homeless,
tempest-tossed to me,
I life my lamp beside
the golden door.
Emma Lazarus
Immigrants satisfy a U.S. demand
In the 1990s: over half of US workforce
growth was from immigrants.
• 2000-2005: immigrants accounted for 86%
of increase in US employment (about 50%
were Hispanics of which 50% Mexican).
• For next 20 years, no net increase is
predicted in the number of prime workingage natives (ages 15-54).
“Push” to
U.S. Immigration
• 1840-50: Irish Potato Famine – mostly
Irish Catholics come.
• 1850: U.S. seizes 1/3 of Mexico
• Mexican border relatively open until
1920
– Mexicans come and go freely
– 1910: Mexican Revolution seizes land
– 1920: Cristero Movement repressed
“Push” to
U.S. Immigration
Chinese rush to U.S. in 1840-1870
– 1839-42: Opium War with Britain
– Loss of Hong Kong to Britain
– Taiping Rebellion 1850-64
– Agricultural crisis and rice shortage
“Push” to
U.S. Immigration
• 1890-1924: Period of greatest immigration
• Ellis Island: 1892 – 1924:
– 5000 enter daily, maybe 1 in 50 rejected
– 12 million had entered by 1954 when
closed
• WWI generates Italian, Slav, Greek, Polish,
Jewish immigrants (Southern Europe)
Historic “Pull” of Immigrants
Immigrants satisfy US economic needs
• 1864: 1st comprehensive federal immigration law to
work frontier (RR, mining, farming, e.g., Chinese
recruited for Calif gold rush 1848-1882).
• 1870s: Companies recruit in Mexico in part to
replace Chinese, but mostly seasonal.
• 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act, denies more entries,
no return if leave, sponsoring relatives and
citizenship denied.
• WWI: Government, industry and agriculture contract
Mexican labor.
U.S. Limits Immigration
• Limits usually accompanied by anti immigrant,
xenophobic campaigns e.g., anti Chinese
movement in midst of 1870 US depression.
• Up to 1850s – 85% of immigrants were English,
Scotch Irish, and German; all other groups
suspect because “Not like us.”
• After WWI: door slammed shut:
– 1900-1915: 15 million enter U.S.
– 1915-1930: 5.5 million enter U.S.
U.S. Limits Immigration
1917: Literacy Act – very exclusionary
– need to write or speak English and another
language
– aims to exclude southern Europeans & Jews
& excluded all Asians, including Indians,
Malaysians, etc. Even though 12% of US
Army is Italian.
– 9th Proviso: exception for farm workers, mostly
Mexicans.
U.S. Limits Immigration
• 1918-1921: Red scare aggravates fear
& anti-immigrant reaction.
• 1921-1924: Quota Law – 1st time
numerical limits; uses 1910 proportion,
favoring north Europeans.
• Border Patrol created; Mexican border
becomes a tangible reality, though still
permeable.
U.S. Limits Immigration
1924 Immigration Act severely limits
because
– Racial superiority of Anglo Saxons
– Immigrants cause lowering of wages
– Do not assimilate
– Threat to national identity & unity
– Limits immigrants to 2% of their national
group in 1890, thus against south & east
Europeans
Mexican immigrants recruited
• 1900-1910: 49,000 immigrants enter,
50% are Mexicans.
• 1920: 500,000 Mexicans emigrated
– Poverty & unrest in Mexico before 1910
– Restrictions on Japanese, like Chinese
– Demand for labor in RR, agric, mines
– Waiver of $5 head tax
– Seen as temporary, not staying
– Will work in undesirable jobs & locations
Mexican immigrants deported
Depression
- Mexican immigration slows to trickle
- Emigration exceeds immigration 3-1
- Violent reaction against Mexicans as cities &
states round up and deport them
- Many leave on own out of fear
- In 15 month period in 1931, 2 million
Mexicans leave.
“Pull” of Mexican immigrants
• WWII: (1942-1964) Treaty with Mexico to
contract workers (Bracero Program)
– Private contracts but feds help recruit
– US demand initially small, but soon outstrips
visas so in early 1950s growers recruit
undocumented.
– 1942-1946: 4.6 million braceros admitted
– 1950: 67,000 braceros to 450,000 in 1956
– Same time: 5.2 million illegal immigrants
arrested.
“Pull” of Mexican Immigrants
– US knew Bracero program would foment
illegal immigration e.g., cut Border Patrol
– Undocumented benefit government & private
sector.
• Government need not pay cost of $450/worker
• Owners save $25 bond on each, $15
contracting fee & other restrictions.
– Early 1950’s: Prosperity pulls poor Puerto
Ricans (U.S. citizens) & others.
Historic “Pull” & Limiting
Recession increases arrests in 1950-1956:
• 1934-43: 10,000/year
• 1944-54: 277,000/year
• 1954: 1,090,000 (Operation Wetback)
• 1956: 30,000
• Illegal immigration issue disappears
History of Immigration
• European immigration slows in early 1950s due
to McCarthyism scare.
• 1952: McCarran-Walter Act against communist
subversives:
- Creates INS & moves it from Labor to Justice
- Establishes 4 category preference system
• 50% to more educated
• 50% to 3 preferences for family of citizens &
residents – 1st time
History of Immigration
• 1959: U.S. receives large numbers of Cuban
refugees.
• 1960-65: JFK & LBJ try to eliminate
discriminatory national quotas
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
• 1964: Civil Rights movement highlights
abuses of braceros
• 1965: Amendment to Civil Rights
• Asian immigration restrictions eliminated
• Asians immigrants explode in 70s & 80s:
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia & bring families.
• Together with Latinos = 85% of all immigrants
till 1990s
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
• Readjusts quota system 20,000 for each nonWestern country regardless of size
• 170,000 visas for Eastern Hemisphere,
• 75% for family of citizens y LPRs
• Only 120,000 for Western Hemisphere, which
creates backlog of Mexicans
• 1965-1976: 300,000 backlog of West requests
• Annually Mexicans used 40,000 of 120,000
visas
• US wrongly gave 150,000 Western visas to
Cubans
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
• 1975: Law disallows woman with child born in
U.S. to apply for LPR; child may apply when 21.
• 1976: US cuts Mexican visas to 20,000
• 3rd preference of married
sons/daughters of citizens = 10 years
• 4th preference of bros/sisters = 12 years
• 1979: After Pres Carter appoints Fr Hesburg to
commission to review policy, receives recommendation for employer sanctions (an idea
rejected since 1870s) and broad legalization.
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
• 1986: Immigration Reform & Control Act (IRCA):
• 2 step legalization process, legalizing 2.5
million (“amnesty”), less than expected, who
fulfill restrictive criteria.
• Employer sanctions
• Outlaws unfair immigration related
employment practices
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
• 1996: Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) hastily passed on eve
of threatened government shutdown (9/30).
– Harshest law in U.S. history
• Retroactively increased grounds of deportability
• Greatly limited judicial review & political asylum
• Mandated 10-year bar to return for residing illegally
in U.S. for a year or more.
• Permanent bar for false claim to U.S. citizenship
• Greatly restricted waivers.
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
• 2001: Pres Fox receives standing ovation when
calls for broad legalization before joint Congress
• 9/11: Hope-filled meeting between Fox and Pres
Bush for 9/13 canceled. They never meet.
• Severe tightening of immigration procedures
– 2003: Homeland Security takes over INS role
– Immigration takes on anti-terrorism flavor
– All applications take much longer to process
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
• 2005: Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduces
controversial bill, passes House in 7 days:
– Felony to aid undocumented people
– Felony to enter U.S. illegally
– Felony to overstay or violate a visa
• March 10, May 1 2006 & 2007: Largest
demonstrations in U.S. history
• 1/2007: Strive bill introduced as more
• compassionate alternative, but strong opposition
from the right, forces Senate to drop efforts in
summer. Senate passes stronger enforcement.
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
• 2005: Harsher rulings on waivers
– Of 300,000 applications for Cancellation of
Removal, 99% denied and there is no appeal.
– Those applying fulfill the following:
• In U.S. for 10 uninterrupted years before arrest
• A person of good character, no crime
• Has spouse, parent or child who is US citizen
or PLR
• Would suffer extreme hardship if deported.
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
Increased enforcement in 2007
• Congress approves 700 miles of fence, more
$ for border patrol officers and technology
• Deportations escalate, 270,000 in FY 07,
most in history.
• More detention space funded, detention soars
to 27,000.
• Minutemen created as vigilante force.
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
• 2005: Harsher rulings on waivers
– Of 300,000 applications for Cancellation of
Removal, 99% denied and there is no appeal.
– Those applying fulfill the following:
• In U.S. for 10 uninterrupted years before arrest
• A person of good character, no crime
• Has spouse, parent or child who is US citizen
or PLR
• Would suffer extreme hardship if deported.
Contradictions of Push,
Pull & Limiting
Municipalities & states pass strict laws:
• Oklahoma: harshest law making any aid to
illegal immigrants a crime. Tulsa
Archbishop denounces it.
• Waukegan & many other cities require
police to ask for ID and if none, to turn over
persons to ICE.
• Arizona law fines and then cancels
business licenses of those caught hiring
undocumented people.
The Future?
• 2007: Save Act stays alive in House,
focusing on enforcement only.
• 2008: Presidential campaign creates
limited debate:
• Democrats shy from the issue
• Republicans emphasize enforcement
Rise in # of legal immigrants
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1950s: 2.5 million
1960s: 3.3 million
1970s: 4.5 million
1980s: 7.3 million
1990s: 9.1 million – biggest decade