Your Angry Neighborhood Feminist The History of U.S. Immigration Laws
Feb 5, 2026
A fast-paced tour through U.S. immigration law from colonial arrival to modern enforcement. The show highlights early deportation laws, 19th-century removals, and the rise of federal immigration control. Listeners hear about quota acts, wartime internments, postwar deportations, and the creation of ICE. Recent policies, expulsions, parole limits, and enforcement surges get a focused look.
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Legal Targeting Of Chinese Immigrants
- The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) was the first U.S. law to ban immigration based on nationality and targeted Chinese laborers for decades.
- Systemic violence and legal exclusion against Chinese immigrants persisted until repeal in 1943.
Irish Immigrants’ Rise And Resentment
- Madigan recounts anti-Irish prejudice during the 19th century, noting their poverty and Catholicism made them targets.
- She highlights how the Irish later gained political power and sometimes perpetuated bigotry against newer immigrants.
Broken Promises To Mexican Residents
- After the Mexican-American War, many Mexicans became U.S. citizens by treaty but later faced inconsistent regulation and mass repatriations.
- Economic downturns and racism drove deportations that often included U.S. citizens.
