From the 1960s to the turn of the 21st century, 8 Presidents pursued varying immigration policies.
All of the eight Presidents promoted pro immigration policies, a major change from earlier policies, with the exception of Bill Clinton.
John F. Kennedy advocated immigration reform, and opposed the discrimatory national origins system that had been in effect since the 1920s. He made attempts to advance serious reforms, but was stopped in his brief Presidency from accomplishing his open minded attitude toward immigration.
Lyndon B. Johnson advocated and signed into law the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, signing the new legislation in a ceremony at the Statue of Liberty, a massive reform that revolutionized migration of immigrants from around the world, as part of his “Great Society” programs. The National Origins formula since the 1920s was abolished, and a family based system was established.
The special preference for Northern and Western European migration was now expanded to include Southern and Eastern European, Latin American, Asian, and African immigration, vastly changing over time the demographic mix of the nation. This was seen as part of the changing political climate, in the time of the Civil Rights Movement of the era.
Richard Nixon generally pursued what Johnson had accomplished, and arranged for admission of Vietnam War refugees to come to America, and Gerald Ford continued the policies, including passage of the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975.
Jimmy Carter continued the same pattern of openmindedness toward immigrants and refugees, including passage of the Refugee Act of 1980.
Further reforms occurred under Ronald Reagan, with amnesty for three million undocumented immigrants, under the Immigration and Control Act of 1986. In his Farewell Address in 1989, he applauded the importance and signicance of permitting immigrants into the nation as as advancement of America’s role in the world.
George H. W. Bush further expanded immigration reform, first promoted by Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, with passage of the Immigration Act of 1990.
This expanded legal immigration and promoted a diversity lottery, which included allowing migration of homosexuals, which had been prevented in the Johnson 1965 law.
Under Bill Clinton, with a Republican Congress in control in both houses for the first time in 40 years, restrictions on illegal immigration, under the Illegal Immigration Reform And Immigrant Responsibility Act in 1996, were put into place.
Deportation proceedings led to removal actions on a large scale. Bars to re-entry in the nation were instituted, and establishment of barriers on the US-Mexico Border were promoted.
So after more than three decades of immigration reform, new restrictions were being imposed in the mid to late 1990s.