Author Topic: Deportation from USA 1920  (Read 826 times)

Offline chempat

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Deportation from USA 1920
« on: Monday 28 March 22 14:15 BST (UK) »
I have a widow and child travelling to USA from England with her brother-in-law in 1919, and then deported back in 1920, to England, with an American born child in addition.  The brother-in-law appears to leave his American born wife behind, and assumes the role of husband/father there-after. (He was with the American wife in 1920 census, but I cannot find the widow in 1920 census.)
 I have looked to see if any files exist, but nothing showing.  Many were destroyed.  I think they had to be deported within a year of arrival.  He had been in USA before, she had married in Ireland and had her first child there.

What I am interested in is whether anyone has had a deportation 'in the family' and knows the reason why.  I can speculate but I am interested in actual reasons given, when known.   I can find high profile cases and obvious reasons, but it is the 'little' misdemeanours that are more interesting.

Thanks

Offline AllanUK

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Re: Deportation from USA 1920
« Reply #1 on: Monday 28 March 22 15:49 BST (UK) »
Found this on an online search, it may help.

History of Deportation in the United States

The first deportation law in the United States was the Alien Act of 1798. Under this law, the president could deport any alien who was deemed dangerous. (A Naturalization Act was also passed that raised from five to 14 years the length of time an immigrant had to reside in the United States before being eligible for naturalization.) These measures were the result of growing hostility between the United States and France; with the accession to power of Napoleon Bonaparte, tensions eased dramatically, and no one was ever deported under the Alien Act.

Toward the end of the nineteenth century the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed to limit the number of Chinese immigrants into the United States, but it was not a deportation law. During the first decades of the twentieth century, however, a number of potentially subversive aliens were deported, particularly in light of the proliferation of anarchists and the spread of socialism. Events such as World War I and the 1918 Bolshevik revolution in Russia helped shape opinions in the United States, and immigration was viewed less and less favorably.

In the 1920s the issue was not so much deporting aliens as keeping them out; quota systems limited the number of immigrants to the United States. After World War II, the Cold War and a growing fear of Communist infiltration into the U.S. government resulted in more deportations for several years.

In the 1980s and 1990s an increasing number of illegal immigrants from South and Central America, Haiti, and Cuba tried to enter the United States. Most deportation cases today, in fact, are illegal immigration cases.

Online Erato

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Re: Deportation from USA 1920
« Reply #2 on: Monday 28 March 22 16:02 BST (UK) »
Have you checked the newspapers to see if there was any mention of the deportation?  I have a person in my tree who was almost deported for alleged involvement in an anarchist bomb throwing incident in 1908.  He successfully claimed to be an innocent bystander and, in the end, was not deported.  The events were quite widely covered in the press.
Wiltshire:  Banks, Taylor
Somerset:  Duddridge, Richards, Barnard, Pillinger
Gloucestershire:  Barnard, Marsh, Crossman
Bristol:  Banks, Duddridge, Barnard
Down:  Ennis, McGee
Wicklow:  Chapman, Pepper
Wigtownshire:  Logan, Conning
Wisconsin:  Ennis, Chapman, Logan, Ware
Maine:  Ware, Mitchell, Tarr, Davis

Offline Ashtone

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Re: Deportation from USA 1920
« Reply #3 on: Monday 28 March 22 16:20 BST (UK) »
Given that she was a widow with children, I suspect the reason for deportation was "public charge".

The Immigration Act of 1917 extended the deportation period for public charges to five years and
placed the burden of proof on the alien to demonstrate that “a propensity for pauperism had not existed at the time of entry.”


Offline chempat

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Re: Deportation from USA 1920
« Reply #4 on: Monday 28 March 22 16:31 BST (UK) »
I have no luck searching American newspapers - can you recommend a free site?


Online Erato

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Re: Deportation from USA 1920
« Reply #5 on: Monday 28 March 22 16:37 BST (UK) »
What part of the country did this happen in?
Wiltshire:  Banks, Taylor
Somerset:  Duddridge, Richards, Barnard, Pillinger
Gloucestershire:  Barnard, Marsh, Crossman
Bristol:  Banks, Duddridge, Barnard
Down:  Ennis, McGee
Wicklow:  Chapman, Pepper
Wigtownshire:  Logan, Conning
Wisconsin:  Ennis, Chapman, Logan, Ware
Maine:  Ware, Mitchell, Tarr, Davis

Offline Ashtone

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Re: Deportation from USA 1920
« Reply #6 on: Monday 28 March 22 16:39 BST (UK) »
I have no luck searching American newspapers - can you recommend a free site?

This site's free: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/


Offline chempat

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Re: Deportation from USA 1920
« Reply #7 on: Monday 28 March 22 17:05 BST (UK) »
Thank-you.

The brother-in-law was in Pittsburgh in 1920, living with his American wife's brother. 

Offline Ashtone

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Re: Deportation from USA 1920
« Reply #8 on: Monday 28 March 22 17:11 BST (UK) »
When was the widow deported? Was it before or after the 1920 census (taken in January)?
Also, did she have a second child after arriving in the USA? You mentioned an "American born child" - so is that another child of hers? Sorry, I'm a bit confused.

What source indicates she was deported back to England?