cthia wrote:Look at the very first thing on the list, E., . . .1790
Naturalization Act of 1790
Established the rules for naturalized citizenship, as per Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, but placed no restrictions on immigration. Citizenship was limited to white persons, with no other restriction on non-whites.
That is legal immigration, E. Legal! The US has always welcomed immigration. The US has adopted more immigrants than all other countries combined! But there is a process one must go through. There are no laws protecting illegal immigrants.
Stop right there. The idea of an illegal immigrant does not exist in that piece of legislation. It defines rules under which a resident of the US can become a citizen, but it places no restrictions on how people might come to be a resident. There are no port of entry requirements, no deportation proceedings, not even the barest hint of a mention of crime in there.
Your argument, and I quote, was "The US has always had immigration laws! And illegal immigration has always been a crime!"
So, how would one go about committing that crime in 1790? If you get caught, what's the penalty?