Excerpt from The Immigration Act of 1924

Excerpt from The Immigration Act of 1924

The permanent quota system, which expanded 1921 legislation, placed a significant restriction upon much immigration to the United States. It makes no mention of Western Hemisphere immigration given the economic need for migrant labor. Significant for Jewish immigration, the legislation made no distinction between Jewish refugees and immigrants, thereby severely curtailing the influx of Jewish refugees.

Check out the full text here, especially the table of immigration quotas put in place through proclamation of President Calvin Coolidge.

EXCLUSION FROM UNITED STATES. SEC. 13.

(a) No immigrant shall be admitted to the United States unless he

(1) has an unexpired immigration visa or was born subsequent to the issuance of the immigration visa of the accompanying parent,

(2) is of the nationality specified in the visa in the immigration visa,

(3) is a non-quota immigrant if specified in the visa in the immigration visa as such, and

(4) is otherwise admissible under the immigration laws.

(b) In such classes of cases and under such conditions as may be by regulations prescribed immigrants who have been legally admitted to the United States and who depart therefrom temporarily may be admitted to the United States without being required to obtain an immigration visa.

(c) No alien ineligible to citizenship shall be admitted to the United States unless such alien

(1) is admissible as a non-quota immigrant under the provisions of subdivision (b), (d), or (e) of section 4, or

(2) is the wife, or the unmarried child under 18 years of age, of an immigrant admissible under such subdivision (d), and is accompanying or following to join him, or

(3) is not an immigrant as defined in section 3.

(d) The Secretary of Labor may admit to the United States any otherwise admissible immigrant not admissible under clause (2) or (3) of subdivision (a) of this section, if satisfied that such inadmissibility was not known to, and could not have been ascertained by the exercise of reasonable diligence by, such immigrant prior to the departure of the vessel from the last port outside the United States and outside foreign contiguous territory or, in the case of an immigrant coming from foreign contiguous territory, prior to the application of the immigrant for admission.

(e) No quota immigrant shall be admitted under subdivision (d) if the entire number of immigration visas which may be issued to quota immigrants of the same nationality for the fiscal year already been issued. If such entire number of immigration visas has not been issued, then the Secretary of State, upon the admission of a quota immigrant under subdivision (d), shall reduce by one the number of immigration visas which may be issued to quota immigrants of the same nationality during the fiscal year in which such immigrant is admitted; but if the Secretary of State finds that it will not be practicable to make such reduction before the end of such fiscal year, then such immigrant shall not be admitted.

(f) Nothing in this section shall authorize the remission or refunding of a fine, liability to which has accrued under section 16. …