The first Ellis Island Immigration Station opens and Congress passes the Geary Act

Ellis Island Immigration Station is officially opened. In the first year, nearly 450,000 immigrants pass through. In the same year, the Geary Act of 1892 extends the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 for another 10 years, and requires Chinese people residing in the U.S. to register and carry a certificate at all times. Without the correct papers, a Chinese immigrant is subjected to deportation, imprisonment, and a year of hard labor.