A Review of American Immigration Policies: A Historical Essay

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of American immigration policies from the post-World War II era to the presidency of Barack Obama. It examines the key policy changes and their impact, starting with Truman's efforts to assist refugees and the subsequent Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 under Ronald Reagan, which aimed to penalize employers of illegal immigrants. The essay then delves into the Immigration Act of 1990 under George H.W. Bush, which focused on employment-based visas, and the policies of Bill Clinton, who sought to address rising illegal immigration. It also addresses George W. Bush's Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 and Obama's approach to immigration restrictions, highlighting the significant shifts and continuities in US immigration law. The essay emphasizes the importance of immigration policy as a crucial aspect of American history, reflecting the country's evolving social, economic, and political landscape, and the changes in immigration laws in the USA.

Running head: AMERICAN HISTORY
American History
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1AMERICAN HISTORY
America has a rich historical background. The country has gone through a number of
significant historical developments in the country’s past. It is because of the historical
development of the country that the country itself had undergone a major change in the
modern times. One such matter of historical significance is the official immigration laws of
the country itself. The immigration laws of the country had undergone a lot of changes from
the ancient times to the present time. A variety of laws had been made and changed during
this time right up to the presidency of Barack Obama. This changes in the immigration policy
from the times of the post-war period right to the period of Barack Obama will be discussed
in the essay by the readers themselves.
The purpose of this essay is to discuss the official immigration policy of the
country form the post-wart to the period of presidency of Barack Obama in the country
of United States of America.
The country of the United States of America had always worked upon the official
immigration policy of the country. The policy of the immigration in the country of The
United States of America had mainly started at the time of The Cold War in the country of
America itself. The Cold War took place mainly between the countries of The United States
of America and the USSR itself. This was a war which was fought between the two countries
on non-violent terms (Schmid:705).
During this time Harry. S. Truman, who was the President of The United States of
America itself wanted to defeat the U.S.S.R. Hence, he had formulated a policy which stated

2AMERICAN HISTORY
that the United States will provide any kind of help and relief to all the refugee in Europe and
other countries whose homes have been damaged or destroyed at the time of the World War
II.
“For millions of city dwellers, the suburban utopia fulfilled the dream, postponed by
war and depression, of home ownership and middle class incomes.”
Hence, during this time, the Government of The United States of America strongly
welcomed the immigrants which resulted in a large number of the immigrants in the country
in hopes of the help and the relief which would be given to them by the country of The
United States of America itself (Ybarra:317).
However, at the same time, Truman also had made provisions for the punishment of
the illegal immigrants into the country of The United States of America. Hence, it can be said
that the policy of the immigration by President Harry Truman had decided to help the
refugees and the other people who had lost their lost their homes as part of the World War II.
“Despite the economic recovery of Western Europe and Japan after World War II, The
United States remained the world’s predominant industrial power.”
One of the most significant problems which the issue of the immigration faced in the
country of The United States of America is the policy of the Immigration Reform and Control
Act of 1986, which was signed by the them President of the country Ronald Reagan himself.

3AMERICAN HISTORY
The main purpose of this act in the country of The United States of America is the
fact that it mainly aimed to deal punishments to the companies and the organizations which
did not have the employees that are legal immigrants into the country itself (Schmid:700).
“Suburbanites, for whom the home represented not only an emblem of freedom but the
family’s major investment, became increasingly fearful that any non-white presence
would lower the quality of life and destroy property values.”
Therefore, this act caused the problems for the organizations and the companies at
that time who had a number of illegal immigrants as workers in the company itself. T
This Act which was imposed by President Ronald Reagan had a beneficial impact in
the country itself that it had led to the reduction of the crime in the country by 3-5%,
however, the number of the immigrants in the country had increased. This led to the Supreme
Court of the country denying the schools and the universities from providing education on the
basis of the illegal immigration status of the students themselves (Schmid:315).
The next significant step in the immigration policies in the country of The United
Stets of America is considered to be The Immigration Act of 1990 if President George H. W.
Bush. This was mainly a form of financial type of immigration policy which was introduced
by the President in the country itself.
In this case, a number of visas for the purpose of employment was introduced so that
more people would be able to come to the country of The United States of America. Hence, it

4AMERICAN HISTORY
is form this that the readers would be able to conclude the immigration policy of President of
the country to itself i.e. to increase the financial status of the country of The United States of
America by allowing the people of the other countries to come into America for the
employment purpose itself.
Moreover Bush’s immigration policy had also created a cheap foreign labour
economy for the workers in the country of America itself. What it did was that it had
flattened the wage system for the upper and the middle class Americans in the country so that
the innovation in the capital of the country had slowed and also had resulted in the
displacement of the ordinary citizens in the country itself (Ybarra:315).
Hence, it can be said from this that the immigration policy of President George H. W. Bush
had resulted in the country gradually becoming economically strong and more immigrants
arriving in the country for the purpose of the employment in the country itself.
This is one of the reason why this period is considered to be important in the history
of the country itself.
President Bill Clinton, who had become the next President in the country of The
United States of America had established one of the important immigration laws and policies
in the country itself (Schmid:699).

5AMERICAN HISTORY
“Cold War affluence coexisted with urban decay and racism, the seeds from which
protest would soon flower. Yet to many observers in the 1950s it seemed that the ills of
American society had been solved. Scholars celebrated the “end of ideology.”
It can be said that the main aim of the policy of Bill Clinton was to make changes to
the earlier immigration policies as the illegal immigrants were increasing in the country itself.
Moreover, it also had designated to the U.S. Attorney General the power to construct a kind
of barrier between the countries of The United States and that of Mexico if the need arises in
the country itself (Schmid:700).
The immigration policy of The United States of America next got modified during the
time of George. W. Bush itself. The most significant aspect of the immigration policy
George. W. Bush is the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of the year 2007.
This was said to be the most important part of the immigration act was the increased
enforcement of the immigration policies in the country of The United States of America,
which makes it one of the most important policies of that time in the country itself. Therefore,
the policy is said to be an important one in the career of George Bush himself (Ybarra:315).
Finally, it can be said that Obama, like other Presidents had also been strict with the
illegal immigration policies itself. However, Obama has also imposed an immigration
restriction policy in the country in order to detain the illegal immigrants in the country itself.

6AMERICAN HISTORY
However, this practice was only implemented by Obama in the most extreme cases
and he had to bring changes or stop these immigration policies hen being asked to do so by
The Supreme Court of the country itself (Schmid:699).
Hence, from the above discussion, it can be seen by the readers of the article that the
immigration policy of The United States of America had undergone a lot of changes in this
matter itself. This is because of the of the fact that the country of The United States of
America had undergone a lot of changes in the country itself, right from the history of the
country itself to the present times in the country. It is because of this reason that it is said that
the immigration policy of The United States of America is an important part of the history of
the country itself.

7AMERICAN HISTORY
Reference List
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History: Seagull Fourth Edition. Vol. 1. WW
Norton & Company, 2013.
L. Schmid, Carol. "Undocumented childhood immigrants, the Dream Act and Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals in the USA." International Journal of Sociology and
Social Policy 33.11/12 (2013): 693-707.
Ybarra, Vickie D., Lisa M. Sanchez, and Gabriel R. Sanchez. "Anti-immigrant anxieties in
state policy: the great recession and punitive immigration policy in the American
states, 2005–2012." State Politics & Policy Quarterly 16.3 (2016): 313-339.