Immigration at a Crossroads in 2024

America’s leaders now had a political problem on their hands. Immigrants were seemingly invading their largest city, unchecked by authorities. The Clinton administration decided to detain the survivors of the Golden Venture wreck while their requests for asylum were considered. Half were ultimately deported, and many others languished in prison for years, until Clinton released them in his second term.

America has always had to tread a fine line on immigration. The country was built by immigrants, but there has always been tension over how many to let in, and from where. But this election year, forces are coalescing that will likely make this domestic issue the primary determinant of who will sit in power, from your local town mayor to the president of the United States.

America’s tortured history with immigration spans more than a century. It follows a pattern: Immigrants arrive in America for various reasons, whether they are seeking jobs and opportunity or fleeing oppression. At a certain point the growing influx drives American political leaders to determine that changes must be made to immigration law.

In the mid-19th century, the Chinese began arriving after the California gold rush and were recruited, often forcefully, into building the first transcontinental railroad. At some point, the flow of immigrants proved politically inconvenient, and President Chester A. Arthur signed into law the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.