On
3rd August, 1882, Congress passed a new Immigration Act that stated
that a 50 cents tax would be levied on all aliens landing at United
States ports. The money collected was to be used to defray the expenses
of regulating immigration and for the care of immigrants after landing,.
The legislation also gave powers to the authorities to deny entry
to "convicts (except those convicted of political offences),
lunatics, idiots and persons likely to become public charges".
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