Immigration with an Astrological Twist

Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in 1902

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 governs those who come from other countries to the United States to take up permanent residence. Senator Pat McCarran (D-Nevada), head of the Judiciary Committee, was largely responsible for this law. It was codified in Title 8 of the U.S. Code.

The act abolished racial restrictions and kept a quota system for different countries. It defined three types of immigrants: those with special skills or relatives living in the U.S.–those were not subject to quotas and could be permitted entry with no restrictions, average immigrants—they were subject to a quota of 270,000 per year—and refugees. (Wikipedia)

Leo Pat McCarran (August 8, 1876- 1954) was a strident anti-communist and a proponent of aviation. He studied law with an attorney, was admitted to the Nevada bar in 1905, and served as Nye County’s District Attorney for two years. In 1912 he was elected to the Supreme Court of Nevada. (Ibid) His natal horoscope is quite good for an attorney. Mercury, the planet of communication, is generally well-aspected.

McCarran had a stellium of four planets in Leo. These ranged from 16-20 d. [Sun 16, Mars 17, Uranus 20 05, and Mercury at 20 35. The four are all square Jupiter in Scorpio. His Moon was probably in Pisces (until about 6 p.m., 18 of 24 hours).

His interest in things modern—aviation –Pat sponsored the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938–can perhaps be shown by his Sun/Uranus conjoining. Pat’s mind would have been lively [Mercury/Mars/Uranus conjunct.] He may have been a crusader for things he deemed important. [Sun and Mars together] The Jupiter squares probably made him restless, overly optimistic, and his decision making sometimes errant.

The Hart Cellar Act of 1965 created seven categories that give priority entrance to the citizens and relatives of U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, professionals, individuals with specialized skills, and refugees. The act ended de facto discrimination against Asians and some Europeans. (Ibid)

President Johnson, a Virgo, was largely responsible for getting the act signed into law. He was an aggressive arm twister, very familiar with the ways of Congress, and knew how to get legislation passed.* Johnson had a Sun/Moon/Mars conjunction (all in Virgo) and another with Jupiter at 26 Leo with the Sun and Mars. His chart mirrors his known forceful actions. Johnson’s time of birth was not definitively known.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 put the onus of illegal immigration on the backs of employers by making it illegal to hire illegal immigrants. Penalties were established for companies that employed them. Illegal immigrants who had arrived in the U.S. before January 1, 1982 could stay.  This permitted about 2.7 million people to become permanent residents. (Ibid)

IRCA failed to stop illegal immigration. Indeed, it rose from 5 million in 1986 to 11.1 million in 2013. (Ibid)

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 “mandated that immigrants who are unlawfully present in the United States for 180 days but under 365 days must remain outside the country for three years unless pardoned. If they remain in the U.S. for 365 days or more, they must stay outside the country for ten years unless they obtain a waiver. However, if they return to the U.S. without a pardon, they must wait for ten years until they can apply for a waiver.” (Legal information Institute, Cornell Law School, www.law.cornell.edu)

IIRIRA did these things: 1. Merged exclusion and deportation proceedings into removal. 2. Restricted access to cancellation of removal. 3. Established expedited removal (no hearing). 4. Gave the United States Attorney General BROAD AUTHORITY to construct barriers along the U.S. border and a second layer of border fencing to support the [then] completed 14 mile fence. 5. Provided additional funding for the Border Patrol for aircraft, helicopters, sensors, night vision goggles and scopes, and four-wheel drive vehicles. (Wikipedia)

In 2018 President Donald Trump, a Gemini with a Sagittarius Moon and Leo Rising, announced the creation of the Migrant Protection Protocols. Foreign individuals who sought to enter the U.S. illegally and without proper documentation could be returned to Mexico and wait outside the United States for the duration of their immigration proceeding. (Homeland Security: An Official website of the United States government, “Migrant Protection Protocols,” Release date, January 24, 2019)

In Biden v. Texas (2022) the Supreme Court found in a 5-4 decision that the federal government had the authority to revoke the Migration Protection Protocols. Justices Roberts, Kavanaugh, Kagan, Breyer, and Sotomayor formed the majority. Alito, Barrett, Gorsuch, and Thomas dissented.**

Author’s opinions: I believe the majority of people in the United States want a well-organized and regulated system for immigration that includes fencing, sensors and/or whatever is deemed necessary to keep hundreds of thousands of people from simply walking in. I think most would favor some entry every year—limited quotas seem reasonable– but not the millions that seek access. Congress needs to address the problem in a fair, bipartisan way.

There are around 34 million American living at the poverty level. What are we doing to help these folks?

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*President Johnson’s Great Society—his domestic program– included passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Head Start, Food Stamps, Work Study, National Endowment for the Arts, Medicare, and Medicaid.

** Roberts, Kavanaugh, and Barrett are Aquarians, Thomas and Sotomayor Cancers, Breyer a Leo, Kagan a Taurus, Gorsuch a Virgo, and Alito an Aries.

Brian Hill, blog writer