Seriously, the insanity of red tape, expense, and bigotry that surrounds our immigration laws must come to an end. I'm tired of people screeching how their "ancestors came to this country legally" when prior to 1921, there were virtually no barriers to (European) immigrants, and the immigration laws enacted in the run up to the Great Depression were written in such a way to favor western Europeans at the expense of every one else who wanted to come here and try to make a new life for themselves.
This timeline is an excellent rundown on the history of our immigration laws, and how deeply seeped they are in racism and bigotry.
