In his 1751 "Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind," Benjamin Franklin wrote of the "swarm" of German immigrants he feared would make Pennsylvania "a Colony of Aliens."
"Few of their children in the country learn English . . . they begin of late to make all their bonds and other legal writings in their own language, which (though I think it ought not to be) are allowed good in our courts . . .," Franklin wrote in his 1753 "Letters from an American Farmer."
Consternation about immigrations legal and illegal dates back to the earliest days of our country's history and appears to be part of how this country makes and remakes itself.
"Immigration has always been one of the most difficult things we do as a country," said Virginia Kice, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement's Western region. "No matter what priorities you choose or what choices you make, there are always going to be people who disagree."
Franklin, long considered a pioneer cheerleader of the American Dream, delivered numerous similar statements during early years of the colonies.
"Unless the stream of these people can be turned away from their country to other countries, they will soon outnumber us so that we will not be able to save our language or our government," he wrote.
Franklin's statements reflected concern about the increasing number of German immigrants in America in this country's earliest days.
But compare these to the 2005 comments of Alex Segura of the Utah Minuteman Project.
Segura says illegal immigration is straining social systems from education to health care. But the No. 1 threat he sees from a flood of illegal immigration is crime and gangs, noting that drug dealers and other criminals cross the same border as farm workers.
Another troubling trend, Segura said, is America is also losing its "common bonds" of culture and language.
A survey of historic references shows fears and public outcry about immigration concerns dating back to the early 1700s.
In the early history of the colonies, English dominated the population that included some Scots, Welsh, Irish, Dutch, Swedes and Finns, the French, Germans and Swiss. One wave of Germans and Scots-Irish came between 1710 and 1740, and another from 1760 to 1776.
Colonists in Pennsylvania had the greatest concern about immigrants because by the mid-1770s, about one-third of its population was German. Franklin led much of the immigration discussion.
"Why should the Palatine boors be suffered to swarm into our settlements and, by herding together, establish their language and manners to the exclusion of ours?" historians quote the great inventor and leader as saying.
"Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a colony of aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us, instead of our Anglifying them?"
George Washington also apparently did not encourage immigration and did not want settlers grouped together in the colonies because he thought this would lead to the preservation of separate values.
The concept of "legal" and "illegal" immigrants is relatively new, according to Marian L. Smith, historian for Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"Before that ships were just dumping people out," Smith said. "Even back then, Ellis Island in the 1890s, if they were turning away too many people, businesses complained they needed labor. There's always been a balance between the number of immigrants and economics."
Before the 1920s, immigration was based on so-called "desirability," not quotas. In the 1850s, some states started using officers to meet ships of immigrants. They were looking for criminals, prostitutes and those with dangerous diseases. Federal agents eventually took over the task.
It didn't, however, set any quotas for individuals from countries in the Western Hemisphere. That meant Canadians and Mexicans could enter and leave the country at will.
In fact, the first Border Patrol agents weren't concerned so much about Mexicans as about Europeans and Asians without documents trying to sneak across the border.
But in 1882, Congress passed the first immigration act that kept out "lunatics" and "idiots" who likely would become the states' responsibility.
Also in 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, barring all Chinese laborers.
In 1891, under a broad wave of anti-immigration sentiment, Congress established a permanent superintendent of immigration and added more restrictions on immigration.
With the exception of the Chinese Exclusion Act, it wasn't until 1920 that the United States started its first quota system, requiring visas for immigration. The policy was finalized in 1924.
The policy kicked off another round of newspaper headlines.
"Committee opposes opening alien gate," The Washington Star, 1923.
"Stop Aliens before they start," Washington Evening Star, 1927.
"Identity card may be issued to aliens," Boston Christian Science Monitor, 1927.
"Official warns against influx of many aliens," Arizona Silver Belt, 1930.
Concern about Mexican immigration really started during World War II, Smith said.
During the war, Mexicans moved north to fill a labor shortage as men enlisted. When the soldiers returned home, particularly in the Southwest, they found new competition for jobs. Mexicans, legal and illegal, were blamed for labor situations such as low wages.
"The attention turns because the quota act was very successful in shutting down immigration from Europe and elsewhere," Smith said.
The thinking was if you limit immigration, that will raise wages, Smith said, but with Mexicans filling the labor gap, that didn't always happen.
After World War II, a series of events — the Cold War, the Vietnam War, struggles in Central America and Cuba and economic troubles in Mexico — led to a steady increase in the number of legal and illegal immigrants coming to the United States.
"The booming U.S. economy," according to Department of Homeland Security historic references, "served as a magnet for immigrants, both legal and illegal."
E-mail: lucy@desnews.com