Restriction of Immigration

Report Outline
Decline of Immigration Under Quota System
From Free Entry to Numerical Restriction
Immigration Act of 1924 and the National-Origins Plan
Reduction of Non-Quota Immigration
Chinese and Japanese Exclusion
Proposals for Change in Immigration Laws
Special Focus

Decline of Immigration Under Quota System

The annual report of the Commissioner General of Immigration, transmitted to Congress at the opening of its present session, discloses that during the year ended June 30, 1930, only 241,700 immigrants were admitted to the United States. This is the smallest number admitted in any peace-time year (except 1919) since the beginning of the present century.

During the last pre-war year 1,218,480 new comers were admitted to the United States for permanent residence and during 1921, the last year prior to numerical limitation, 805,228 were admitted. The 1930 figure shows a reduction of 80 per cent from the immigration of the last pre-war year, and of 70 per cent from the last pre-quota year.

During the months that have elapsed since the close of the quota year 1930 there have been further sharp reductions in admissions, with the result that the calendar year 1930 is expected to show the smallest immigration of any peace year since 1879.