In the past, when America had less people, more land, and more room to grow, immigration was run somewhat like a factory. The job of immigration officials was to get people in as quickly and efficiently as possible. One of the major immigration centers was Ellis Island.
Immigrants coming to the United States through a legal immigration center were usually brought by ship to one of the centers, where they went under inspection by immigration officials. This included a quick health exam, and questioning process.
At the same time, many thousands of Mexican immigrants were entering the country through the southern border. |