>>18097025
before 1965 illegal immigration without naturalization, meaning they were in the US for multiple generations but weren't legally citizens, was commonplace. the 1965 immigration and nationality act granted these tens and tens of millions of illegals in the US birthright citizenship, despite that being something reserved for slaves.
Before 1890, when the federal government started regulating immigration and created places like ellis island, ports like NYC were a revolving door of illegal immigration where they would be shipped to the interior of the US without knowing english or a trade. More often than not states deported these people back to NYC or the coast