We need to understand the history of US immigration policy if we are going to effectively resist the policy of mass deportation

Last week, in an event hosted by GR Rapid Response to ICE, I presented on the history of US Immigration Policy at Fountain Street Church to about 40 people. One person who attended provided this feedback: 

This is an invaluable history of US immigration policy from the founding of the nation to the current Trump administration’s attack on immigrants. Jeff Smith begins with a picture of children in cages and raises the issue of whether this is unprecedented in our history. Sadly it is not, when we consider the legacy of family separation during slavery and the forced removal of Native American children to boarding schools. Jeff discusses the many reasons that people come to this country, from employers who recruit workers, encouraging them to build lives here only to get rid of them during economic downturns, to the forces of poverty, violence and climate instability that drive people from their countries. Included are many helpful book and film titles for those who want to learn more. This presentation powerfully conveys how decisions made at the highest levels of our government affect families and communities. 

The Trump administration’s threat to engage in mass deportation is the first time a US President has threatened to deport all undocumented people. If we are going to resist the threat of mass deportation, it is important that we understand that deportation has been a long standing strategy used by numerous US administrations for more than 100 years.

The US engaged in deportation as a policy and strategy beginning with the 1875 Page Act, followed by the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. The Page Act prevented Chinese women from coming to the US and the Chinese Exclusion Act barred Chinese laborers for 10 years and establishing grounds for deportation of any Chinese person found unlawfully in the US. During 1885 and 1886, at least 168 communities carried out Chinese expulsion and self-deportation campaigns These campaigns resulted in the destruction of Chinese businesses, homes and several massacres.

In 1919 and 1920, the US government arrested 6000 people, mostly socialists anarchists and communists that opposed the US involvement in WWI, along with their involvement in radical labor organizing. These arrests were carried about by US Attorney General Mitchell Palmer, who also deported 556 of the leftists leaders, in what are known as the Palmer Raids.

After the Great Depression hit the US in 1929, there were between 500,000 and 2 million Mexicans that were forced to self-deport, because of all the anti-Mexican sentiment during the early 1930s.

In 1954, the Eisenhower Administration conducted what they called “Operation Wetback”, which resulted in the deportation of 1,074,277 Mexicans. This was historically one of the largest acts of deportation in US history, which President Trump referred to during his 2024 campaign. 

Since the Clinton Administration, you can see how deportation, forced or voluntary removal has existed in the US, based on this graphic below.

I can offer the following educational opportunities for people, which includes these popular education slides.

• A 90 minute workshop on the history of US immigration policy
• An 8 week class on the history of US immigration policy

If you are part of a non-profit, a faith community, a grassroots group or any other organization that wants to learn more about the history of US immigration policy, then please reach out to me and we can talk about what would work best for your group. You can contact me at sjeff987@gmail.com.