US Immigration from 1850 to Today

While the United States has undergone a Constitution-mandated census every ten years since 1790, it was not until 1850 that the census began taking into account the immigrant status of interviewed individuals. Looking at the statistics from the past 160 years, a few interesting facts emerge.

An Overview

The US is a nation made up of immigrants, but the nation of origin of these newly minted Americans has changed over the years. In the mid-1800s, the largest contributors to US immigration were in Western Europe, primarily Germany and the United Kingdom (which, at the time, included Ireland). According to the 1850 census:

• There were a total of 2.24 million non-native individuals residing in the United States.
• Of these 2.24 million, about 2.03 million came from Europe. Of these, 2.02 million originated in Northern or Western Europe.
• Approximately 1.34 million people were British. About 970,000 of these were Irish.
• The second biggest immigrant group was German, with about 583,000 people.
• Only 1,135 Americans were Asian.
• There were 13,317 Mexican-Americans.

These numbers are especially interesting when considered in today’s terms. The United States of today is a much more diverse place than it was in 1850, with many Americans from places that, in 1850, would have been considered hopelessly remote.

Comparable Numbers Today

The following numbers are culled from the 2000 Census:

• Approximately 75.1% of the population is White/Caucasian. Of these, an enormous 21.36% claim German descent.
• About 12.3% self-identified as being Black/African American.
• There was an increase in people identifying as Hispanic – 12.5% in 2000, compared to 9% in 2010.
• Approximately 3.6% of the population is Asian.

The government is currently working on the 2010 Census, which will give us an even more up-to-date view on how far we have come as a country.

To learn more about immigration, please visit the website of the Austin immigration attorneys of the Law Office of William Jang, PLLC.

James Witherspoon

(also see recent H1B Deportation news)

When a foreign national chooses to visit or stay in the United States on visa status or as a permanent resident, he or she must abide by certain laws and regulations in order to remain in the country legally. If an individual who is not a U.S. citizen fails to abide by these terms, he or she may be ordered to leave the country.

The process of requiring an individual to physically leave the country is known as deportation. If you are visiting the U.S. temporarily or living in the country as a permanent resident, it is important to know the laws that regulate deportation.

Visa Requirements

A person who is visiting the U.S. on visa status must adhere to certain rules and restrictions to avoid nullifying the visa. Some of the key requirements to consider include:

• There are specific visas for different groups of applicants, and a person must keep the same status during their stay in the U.S. in order for the visa to remain valid. For example, a foreign national visiting on a student visa must remain in school to remain in the country legally under his or her visa.
• If the expiration date is approaching for a visa, the applicant must re-apply to remain in the United States.
• An individual may not legally remain in the U.S. if his or her visa has expired.
• A foreign national may be required to return to his or her home country in order to re-new a visa and legally re-enter the U.S.

A violation of any of these terms can be grounds for deportation by the U.S. government.

Criminal Grounds for Deportation

Any non-citizen staying the country may be deported if he or she commits a qualifying crime. This applies to visa holders and permanent residents alike. The criminal offenses that may lead to deportation include the following:

• Crimes against a person (murder, manslaughter, rape, kidnapping)
• Domestic violence crimes
• Sexual offenses
• Crimes against the government (counterfeiting, mail fraud, bribery, tax evasion, perjury)
• Fraud crimes
• Drug crimes
• Firearms offenses

If you have committed any of the above crimes, your legal permit to remain in the U.S. may be nullified and you may be forced to leave the country. The laws and regulations for visas and permanent residency can sometimes be confusing, and it can be easy for a person to accidentally disqualify himself or herself and risk deportation. If you have questions regarding the rules of your visa, permanent residency, or renewing or changing your legal status in the U.S., consider consulting with an experienced immigration lawyer as soon as possible.

For More Information – To learn more about protecting your immigration status and how you can avoid the risk of deportation, visit the website of the Orange County immigration attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.A., today.