World Immigration News

How Trump’s immigration policies compare to those of America’s past

Release Date: 2025-03-04
Media: UC Berkeley News
Summary: President Donald Trump has made immigration policy a central issue of his presidency, issuing a series of executive orders aimed at reducing immigration, such as ending birthright citizenship and freezing funding for refugee resettlement. These actions have been met with lawsuits from immigrant rights groups and have created a climate of fear, with some immigrants hesitant to take jobs or send their children to school.

Hidetaka Hirota, an expert in U.S. immigration history at UC Berkeley, explains that anti-immigrant sentiment and restrictions on immigration have existed since the colonial era. Early restrictions targeted the poor, a practice inherited from England, and as the U.S. grew, these restrictions became more formalized. The notion of the U.S. as a "nation of immigrants" only emerged in the 1960s, following World War II, when there was a push to end racist immigration laws.

Hirota highlights the historical tension between business owners who relied on immigrant labor and those who opposed immigration due to racial, economic, or religious reasons. He also draws parallels between past and present anti-immigrant rhetoric, such as terms used to describe immigrants as "unnatural" or "illegal."

Regarding labor and immigration, Hirota points out that the U.S. has long struggled with the balance between needing immigrant labor and resisting it due to racial or economic concerns. The period from 1924 to 1943 was particularly restrictive, with discriminatory laws targeting Asian and Southern/Eastern European immigrants.

Lastly, Hirota discusses the role of refugees in U.S. immigration policy, noting that while refugee admissions were initially open to Europeans, racialized opposition grew when refugees from Asia and Latin America began arriving after the 1970s. This shift reflects the racialization of refugee policy in the U.S.
Tags: USA

News Articles including "USA"

Released on

Article Title