Opposition to immigration

Opposition to immigration is political resistance to allowing or increasing immigration, often expressed through demands for stricter entry rules or lower immigration levels.

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Nativism: Political support for the interests of native-born inhabitants over those of immigrants. Nativism has often supplied opposition with an explicit preference for native-born people.
Border control: State measures to regulate entry across national borders. It is the most direct means by which governments restrict immigration.
John Higham: An American historian known for studying nativism and ethnic relations in United States history. His historical account traced recurring patterns of anti-immigrant politics in the United States.
Open borders: A political position favoring greatly reduced restrictions on movement across national borders. It directly reverses the restrictive direction of immigration opposition.
Immigration detention: The confinement of noncitizens by state authorities under immigration law. Expanded enforcement can turn restrictive policy into prolonged confinement.
Chinese Exclusion Act: A United States federal law enacted in 1882 that barred most Chinese laborers from immigrating. It established a landmark federal example of immigration restriction driven by exclusionary politics.
Immigration quota: A numerical limit on how many immigrants may enter a country during a specified period. Quotas convert demands for lower immigration into measurable admission ceilings.
Pat Buchanan: An American conservative political commentator and politician who advocated immigration restriction. His campaigns made immigration restriction a prominent theme in late twentieth-century American conservatism.
Pro-immigration: Support for allowing or increasing immigration and protecting immigrants' rights. It provides the clearest political counterpart to demands for lower immigration.
Family separation: The separation of family members by state action, including during immigration enforcement. Strict enforcement can separate parents and children at borders or within countries.