From the 1885 Alien Contract Labor Laws to the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act there has been a long history of discriminatory immigration policies. 

The immigration policy fallout from September 11th had surfaced already existing anti-immigrant sentiments and legitimated federal policies that put indiscriminate attention, harassment and criminalization on immigrant communities. 

This impacted low-income communities and increased the inability for already vulnerable communities to access services and safeguard their rights and privacy.