How immigration policies shaped America and evolved throughout its history
Channel: PBS NewsHour
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Read a transcript preview of “How immigration policies shaped America and evolved throughout its history” from PBS NewsHour, uploaded on 2026-10-14.
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Language: English
[0:00] The Trump administration's crackdown on immigration may be novel
[0:03] in its tools, methods, and scope, but as Judy Woodruff reports for
[0:07] her series Crossroads America at 250, it belongs to a long tradition
[0:12] in this nation's past.
[0:14] Current course recalls the voyages of approximately 12 million American
[0:19] immigrants. A mass of tourists huddled together on a ferry vying
[0:25] for a view of one of America's most iconic landmarks, the Statue
[0:29] of Liberty. This statue is now seen as welcoming those from outside
[0:34] the country to the United States, but it was not originally given
[0:38] for that reason. No, it was given by the French as a symbol of equality,
[0:42] having nothing to do with immigration, yet.
[0:44] As millions of mostly European immigrants passed by it on their way
[0:49] to nearby Ellis Island in New York City Harbor, it became a symbol
[0:54] of their passage of hope for a better life and a freedom. What was
[0:58] the place where immigrants came. Disembarking on Ellis Island, they
[1:04] were quickly processed, typically spending only hours here before
[1:09] heading into New York and beyond. We hear a lot of conversation today
[1:14] about
[1:14] how My forebears came to this country. They did it legally. They
[1:19] went through the process of becoming a citizen. In fact, it was much
[1:23] simpler than that in those days. Well, there were no visas. You didn't
[1:27] have to have a passport. You could just come and you had to get on
[1:30] the boat at Ellis Island, only 2% of the im