It is not the serious intention of the Government to prohibit immigration, but from time to time to prohibit the people whom experience has demonstrated fail in some important direction in entering beneficially into American citizenship.
The United States feared how the incoming immigrants would affect the United States economy, workforce, and general population, this fear led them to create many immigration acts to protect American citizens from immigrants that would do nothing but cause a strain on the economy. …show more content…
The exclusion of immigrants based on their mental capabilities came into effect when the United States passed the Immigration act of 1882, which primary dealt with the exclusion of mentally ill immigrants. However, in 1907 the United States added imbeciles, feeble-minded persons, and even those whose ability to earn may be affected by their mental state, to the list of those excluded from migrating to the United States. This exclusion based on mental capability was again justified with stating that these immigrants were likely to become public charges and therefore allowing them to gain access to the United States would add unnecessary strain to the