Historically, as British colonies and then as the United States, this land has always been a haven for refugees and a beacon for those seeking a new life (Dinnerstein & Reimers, 1988, p. 195). Maldwyn Allen Jones, in her analysis of the impact of immigration on the development of the United States, asserts that the significance of immigration in American history is simultaneously apparent yet difficult to define (Jones, 1992, p. 291). However, it is clear that at each stage of the country's development from the colonial period to the present, immigrants have left a significant mark upon American life (Jones, 1992, p. 291).
Generally, political conservatives have traditionally called for restricted immigration while liberals have called for more open borders. However, there are crossovers, such as conservatives whose commitment to a free-market economy espouse the necessity of open borders and liberals whose commitment to equal opportunity for those at the lower rungs of the economic ladder lead them to argue in favor of restricting the entry of lower-skilled workers who may threaten the availability of such positions.
In 1990, Congress appeared unlikely to contemplate curtailment of immigration levels (Muller, 1993, p. 157). It passed legislation that changed the immigration statutes to increase the number of skilled workers and so-called "independent" immigrants allowed into the country. The new annual ceiling set by the legislation was 700,000 immigrants, which declined to 675,000 after 1995. The law also reserved about 140,000 visas for individuals (and their dependents) with special job skills and talent (Muller, 1993, p. 157).
Thomas Muller finds it remarkable that organized opposition to the 1990's legislation considerable increase in legal entry levels was virtually nonexistent. He argues that even the most vocal opponents of immigration did not at the time advocate radical changes in pre-1990 policy, attribu...