immigration: Quick Facts

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Oct. 8, 2026

Photos and Videos

United States: immigration

immigrant family, New York, 1889

Black and white illustration of a crowded dock at Queenstown harbour, with Irish emigrants, families, and luggage preparing to board a ship bound for the United States.

immigration debate

Close up photo of Madeleine Albright, a white woman with short blonde hair.

Learn About Former U.S. Immigration Center Ellis Island and Diversity of Immigrants Processed There

See pictures of immigrants entering the United States of America via New York and Boston

Discover how European American settlers drove Native Americans and bison from the Midwest and transformed the land

Meet diverse immigrants in the Pacific Region and follow an immigrant Vietnamese family in California

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Topics

What Does the Catholic Church Say About Immigration?Today in History—October 17: Albert Einstein Arrives in the United States illegal immigration immigration to Australia What’s the Difference Between a Migrant and a Refugee?Immigration DACA & the DREAM Act Sanctuary cities explainer sanctuary city Paying immigrant detainees the minimum wage Trail of Tears: Routes, Statistics, and Notable Events Diaspora Today in History—February 19: The Donner Party’s Devastating Predicament Today in History—August 15: The Mayflower’s First Attempt How long was the voyage of the Mayflower?emigration

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Key People

Stephen Miller speaks beside President Donald Trump seated at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, with U.S. flags and a George Washington statue behind them.

Stephen Miller

American political adviser

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David Levy

Israeli politician

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Carol Weiss King

American lawyer

Abbott, Grace

Grace Abbott

American social worker

Balch, Emily Greene

Emily Greene Balch

American political scientist

Robert E. Park.

Robert E. Park

American sociologist

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Oscar Handlin

American historian

Juan Felipe Herrera

Juan Felipe Herrera

American poet, author, and activist

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Oscar Hijuelos

American author

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Caroline Chisholm

Australian philanthropist

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Carey McWilliams

American editor