In August, the Trump administration issued a global pause on all immigrant visa appointments, postponing them indefinitely while consular officers are provided with training to enforce stricter criteria.
Despite the discouraging attitude towards immigrants under the Trump administration, there have been various points in United States history when immigration has been encouraged. This started with the colonial period and continued into the early 19th century, when people from England, Ireland, Germany, and other parts of Europe were actively encouraged to emigrate to the US. However, attitudes started to change in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Immigration Act of 1924 reflected a shift towards restricting immigration.
If you're curious to find out when America closed its borders to immigrants in the past, click through the following gallery.