These restrictions were based on the country of origin of the applicants, as well as race and religion. As the United States began to expand economically, the federal government retained its power to restrict the number of new immigrants admitted each year, but delegated a great deal of power to individual employers and families to decide who was and was not fit for American citizenship by qualitative criteria. These criteria for acceptance included English language skills, potential for contribution to the labor market, and nation of origin. Employers even had the power to recommend immigrants for deportation. Family members of applicants had the opportunity to sponsor their family members and petition on their behalf in order to assist their efforts; sponsorship and advocacy were often the deciding factors in many applications to the federal
These restrictions were based on the country of origin of the applicants, as well as race and religion. As the United States began to expand economically, the federal government retained its power to restrict the number of new immigrants admitted each year, but delegated a great deal of power to individual employers and families to decide who was and was not fit for American citizenship by qualitative criteria. These criteria for acceptance included English language skills, potential for contribution to the labor market, and nation of origin. Employers even had the power to recommend immigrants for deportation. Family members of applicants had the opportunity to sponsor their family members and petition on their behalf in order to assist their efforts; sponsorship and advocacy were often the deciding factors in many applications to the federal