When my ancestors came to this country thru Ellis Island there was no requirements other than 'they wanted to come to America'. No request for asylum, no claims of persecution. They simply believed that they could have a better life here.
The same is true for the ancestors of the majority of Americans.
Now, instead of letting people come here just to start a better life, we have set ridiculous requirements. Requirements that none of our ancestors had to meet.
If we didn't have ridiculous laws people wouldn't be breaking that law and there would be no illegal immigrants.
If you don't like 'open borders' just remember - if it weren't for open borders YOU would not be here!
Wrong-
Ellis Island Immigration Process: US Immigration for Kids ***
Ellis Island Immigration Experience | GG Archives
With little or no interest they answer the twenty questions Uncle Sam puts before he decides whether he will adopt them or not : name, age—and even the women don't lie—married or single, occupation, education, nationality, destination, amount of money, friend's or relative's name and address, ever imprisoned, whether under contract to labor, and whether physically or mentally incapacitated, whether deformed or crippled.
Not infrequently there are as many as forty cases which call for special investigation on any given day, out of a disembarkation of three to four thousand souls; of these, for example, out of a group of Italians, five are proved to be convicts, seven utterly penniless and physically incapable of work, who would at once come upon the public charge; these twelve are therefore prohibited from landing upon American soil, and if they succeed in so doing it will be by sheer strategy. The remaining twenty-eight having given bonds for good behavior pass through the turnstile.
.....
Persons with loathsome or dangerous contagious diseases, epileptics, idiots, insane persons, and those physically defective so that they are liable to become public charges, and pregnant women, are at once held for examination before a board of special inquiry.
The immigrant is also required at this time to show the amount of money which he has in his possession, and this also is noted on the manifest.
In the main, if the answers given appear to be truthful, if the immigrant is of good physical appearance, and, considering his ability to work, and his age, sex, and occupation, if he has money to support him until he can find employment, he is immediately passed.
If, however, the inspector doubts his right to land, his card is marked " S. I." and he is detained before a board of special inquiry (Note 92) and conducted to another part of the building.
Those who are not detained pass into another room, where they can have their money changed into United States currency, buy tickets to their destination, and obtain information of all sorts in regard to proceeding on their way.
Quite frequently, the right of persons to land is dependent upon the existence and responsibility of some other person, as a husband or parent, whom the immigrant is to join. From this cause, also, the immigrant may be detained; and then a telegram is sent to the friend or relative requesting him to come and take the new arrival away.
View attachment 266926
Immigrants Under Temporary Detention
View attachment 266927
Girls and Single Women
Ellis Island
Immigration officials were nevertheless charged with screening “any convict, lunatic, idiot” or “paupers or persons likely to become a public charge,” the latter known as the LPC clause. Contract laborers were also prohibited after passage of the ALIEN LABOR ACT (Foran Act) of 1885, and about 1,000 aliens were denied entrance each year between 1892 and 1907 on these grounds.
If only they weren't such easy targets and emotional wrecks.
