A Deeper Look

If deportation policy was designed to engineer a white-majority nation, then why are there so many deportations to Europe during this period? One answer is that an even greater proportion of people admitted to the United States in this era were from Europe. Although people from Europe made up the majority of removals (both deportation orders and exclusion orders) between 1899 and 1929, peoples or races from Europe also composed a staggering 92% of all U.S. admissions during this period. The ratio of deportation orders relative to admissions for European immigrants is lower than for immigrants from Mexico and Central America, even though the total number of deportation orders is higher. To see the disparity, click on the legend buttons at the top allowing you to see just admission, then add exclusions and deportations.