ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the history of U.S. immigration policy making, examining how politics often plays a role in making policy change difficult. Major shifts in policy are often decades in the making. Immigration policy making has often shifted between the legislative and executive branch in the U.S. government. While most think of legislative bills as the main movers of policy, presidential action was often a source of major policy changes, typically occurring when Congress acted as a veto point to expanding immigration. Starting in the post-war era, Congress rejected expansive immigration policy due to fears of communist infiltration and a desire to maintain the character of American society. At the same time, the executive came to see Congressional immigration policy as contradictory to national foreign policy goals and the quota system as overly constraining. Overall, the growth of the country and the varied flows into it has led to conflicts, but ultimately, the U.S. has relied on immigration to maintain its vibrancy over a long history of expansive and restrictive policies.
