Ellis Island and immigration
In 1890 the federal government took over the responsibility for immigration to the United States, which had previously been considered the role of the individual states. Congress authorized and funded the construction of an immigration control station on Ellis Island, which was expanded through land reclamation which almost made the island twice its original size. Much of the landfill used came from the tunnels dug for the New York subway system. The first station on the island, built mostly of wood, became the repository of immigration records dating back to 1855.
The first station opened in 1892 and between that date and 1897, when it was destroyed by a fire of unknown origin, about 1.5 million immigrants were processed through the facility. There were no fatalities in the fire, but the records were lost. In 1900 a second building, constructed of fire proof materials, was opened. Despite its size (the dining hall could seat over 1,000 people at a time) it was barely adequate. The influx of immigrants to the United States nearly overwhelmed the facilities and staff before the outbreak of the First World War.
As the immigrants continued to pour through the island itself was again expanded, using landfill to enlarge the island and then erect additional support buildings. The year 1907 was the peak for immigration with over one million immigrants arriving that year, mostly from Europe. The Immigration Act of 1924 placed restrictions on immigration and arrivals at Ellis slowed to a comparative trickle. Most of the immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island were approved for entry into the United States within a matter of a few hours, after which they left the island by ferry to New Jersey or New York.
Ninety-eight percent of the arrivals at Ellis Island were approved to enter the United States. The immigration authorities asked questions regarding the new arrivals level of support in the United States and ensured that they had sufficient funds to reach their destinations. Most of the arrivals who were denied entry were turned away because of disease, and a hospital on Ellis Island provided care for those who needed it. Over the years of its operation roughly 3,000 people who were denied entry due to health reasons died on Ellis Island. During the Second World War Ellis Island was used to detain German and other enemy nationals who had been in the United States when it entered the war.
Of today’s American population, about 40% can trace their lineage through immigration via Ellis Island alone. This means over 100 million Americans are descended from immigrants who passed through the facility, which closed as an immigration facility in 1954. While some immigrants’ had their family names forever changed due to a spelling error in the records, none were ever forced to change their name, a myth which is commonly repeated, but unsupported by the written records. The passenger lists of the arriving ships were used to process the immigrants through, and they were not altered by immigration officials.