Immigration and Nationality Act

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, also known as the McCarran-Walter Act, was enacted on June 27, 1952, and governed immigration to and citizenship in the United States. The law consolidated various immigration laws into a single text and increased the quota for Europeans outside Northern and Western Europe, while also eliminating 1880s bans on contract labor and promoting family reunification. The Act was passed in the context of Cold War-era fears of infiltrating Soviet and communist spies and sympathizers, and its provisions included a quota system for nationalities and regions, a preference system based on labor qualifications, and three types of immigrants.learn more on wikipedia