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Exploring the Impact of the 1965 Immigration Act

immigrants holding the american flag

While it’s no surprise that the United States is a country of immigrants, immigration history shows that initial immigrants typically hailed from European countries.1

This was due to a variety of factors, including immigration policies that placed limits on the number of immigrants from different nations.1 But as the civil rights movement that typified the ‘60s became a social driving force, immigration policy changed as well. Our immigration bond company explores how the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 changed the face of America by allowing more immigrants from many different countries.

What Did the 1965 Immigration Act Do?

Prior to the 1965 Act, immigration laws placed quotas on the number of immigrants coming from countries outside of the US. The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, also known as the Hart-Celler Act, changed policies by bringing a focus to reuniting immigrant families and bringing skilled labor to the country.2

This resulted in an incredible change in the American landscape, prior to the 1965 immigration law, only about 4% of the US population was foreign born, but by 2000 that number had grown to 13%.1 Safe to say, this change in immigration regulations helped shape America into a nation of immigrants.

How Did the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 Differ from Old Laws About Immigration?

Prior to 1965, many immigration regulations favored immigrants from Europe, placing quotas on immigrants from countries such as Asia and Africa. After the passing of 1965’s law, there were still quotas on the number of immigrants, but these numerical limits were more independent of a person’s country of origin.

Understanding the Changing Laws About Immigration

Since 1965, there have been considerable changes to laws about immigration in the United States. Under the Trump presidency, many regulations are being adjusted resulting in a need for nationwide immigration bonds. Contact our team for immigration bonds and more information regarding updated immigration policies in the United States.

 

Sources:

  1. NPR, How the 1965 Immigration Act Made America a Nation of Immigrants
  2. History, US Immigration Since 1965