Immigration Laws

As we explore another layer of civics this week, in today’s column, I thought it might be prudent to remind readers (and myself) about immigration and what laws we have around immigration in America.

- Thera Martin

As we witnessed “No Kings Marches” unfold across the nation over the last number of days, displaying the anger and frustrations some citizens feel about how Donald Trump is addressing Immigrants, it made us think that now is a good time to look back at Immigration laws.

Before we go there, let me take a minute to applaud the thousands who came out and demonstrated in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in the Center City. Thankfully, there were no major negative incidents, and more reminiscent of the kinds of marches Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr led in the 1960s. I applaud the march organizers.

Now, here’s a look at what our immigration laws are:

As far back as I could dig was to the year 1790. It was under Acts of Congress, the 1790 Naturalization Act, which reads... Established the rules for naturalized citizenship, as per Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. Citizenship was limited to white persons, with no other restriction on non-whites.

In 1798, there was an Act of Congress that authorized the president to deport any resident immigrant considered "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." It was activated June 25, 1798, with a two-year expiration date.

Let me fast forward to the page Act of 1875, which prohibited the immigration of coolie laborers and prostitutes from East Asia, and also anyone convicted of a criminal offense in their country of origin.