Immigration Statistics
The United States is a nation of immigrants. With the exception of Native American Indian tribes who have lived here for millenia, every last one of us comes from an immigrant background—some of our ancestors making the journey as long as five hundred years ago, some of us arriving as recently as last year or even last week.
But what does it mean to be a nation of immigrants, statistically speaking? The U.S. Census Bureau has been collecting data on our foreign-born population since 1850. At its peak in 1890, the foreign-born population of the United States represented 14.8 percent of the total U.S. population. In 1970, after decades of very low immigration, the foreign-born residents made up only 4.7 percent of the total U.S. population, a record low.
As of 2000, 11.1 percent of U.S. residents were foreign-born, more in keeping with historical levels and the highest level recorded by the census since 11.6 percent in 1930.
Countries of Origin
Initially, immigrants to the United States came almost exclusively from western Europe. By the mid-1800s, most immigrants to the United States came from northern Europe, giving way to primarily southern and eastern European immigrants by the early 1900s. The rate of immigration decreased significantly in the 1930s as a result of the Great Depression, and stayed low through the war and turmoil of the 1940s. When immigration rates increased again in the 1960s, most immigrants came from Latin America and Asia.
Development of Immigration Law
Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution grants Congress the power to establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization. The Constitution never mentions immigration as such—instead, Congress and the courts have interpreted the exclusive power of Congress over naturalization to include power over immigration, over who may cross the national borders and who may remain.
Currently, Congress delegated that power to several agencies within the Department of Homeland Security: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Prior to the 2003 PATRIOT Act reorganization, the immigration functions of these three agencies belonged to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, known as the INS.
Most recent immigrants to the United States have dealt with USCIS in order to maintain legal status or adjust their status.
Los Angeles Immigation Lawyers Working for You
The skilled attorneys at Wilner & O’Reilly, APLC have dedicated their professional lives to helping immigrants of all stripes fulfill their goals, whether that means a brief stay as a working professional or permanent immigration and naturalization. With conveniently-located offices in Cerritos, Santa Ana, and Riverside as well as Salt Lake City, Utah, they are available to help you address any immigration issue you may face.
Contact us today by phone at 888.862.5905 or through our website to arrange an initial consultation about your case with a dedicated, caring Los Angeles immigration attorney.
