Do Americans Really Understand Immigration Law?

By: Georgia McKoy | Published: Mar 22, 2024

The United States has been sculpted by immigration for hundreds of years, with immigration policy standing at the heart of today’s most heated political debates.

Dive into this quiz to explore your understanding and challenge your perceptions about the U.S. immigration discussion, a topic that continues to shape the nation’s future and identity.

1. Approximately what percentage of the U.S. population is made up of immigrants?

A) 13 percent
B) 6 percent
C) 23 percent
D) 37 percent

A dense crowd of protesters, many holding umbrellas and signs, with an American flag being held high above the sea of people

Source: Joseph Chan/Unsplash

Answer:

A) 13 percent

A large crowd of individuals bundled up in cold-weather clothing, many wearing hats in various colors, gathering closely in an outdoor setting

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2. True or False? Most of the families and children detained at the U.S. southern border are illegal immigrants.

A) True
B) False

A tall border wall topped with multiple strands of barbed wire, with a clear blue sky above and a warning sign reading 'Danger' and 'Peligro' in the foreground

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Answer:

B) False

A group of people lining up next to a border fence at nighttime

Source: Wikimedia Commons

3. True or False? The majority of U.S. public school students categorized as English Language Learners (who have limited English language proficiency) are immigrants.

A) True
B) False

This photo shows a group of diverse children sitting at desks observing a teacher who is standing at the front of a classroom

Source: Kenny Eliason/Unsplash

Answer:

B) False

A classroom scene from the perspective of a student sitting at a desk, with the back of a student's head in the foreground, other students in the middle ground, and a teacher standing by a desk in the background

Source: Taylor Flowe/Unsplash

4. In 2013, among the 35 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), what was the rank of the United States based on the percentage of people born in other countries living there?

A) 1st
B) 14th
C) 9th
D) 20th

A person riding a bicycle along a coastal pathway with an American flag draped over the back, followed by a young girl running with a smaller American flag, both against a backdrop of the ocean and clear blue sky

Source: frank mckenna/Unsplash

Answer:

B) 14th

A diverse crowd of people gathered in front of a large, illuminated American flag display

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5. True or false? The U.S. takes in more legal immigrants for permanent residency than the total number accepted by all other countries combined.

A) True
B) False

The entrance sign of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building, featuring the department's seal

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Answer:

A) True

A diverse group of individuals standing in a courtroom, raising their right hands, taking the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony to become U.S. citizens

Source: Wikimedia Commons

6. Of all the immigrants arriving in the United States in 2015, the largest number came from where?

A) Mexico
B) India
C) China
D) Phillippines

An airplane captured in the center of the frame against a soft sunset sky, with the aircraft's landing gear down as it prepares for landing

Source: Shams Alam/Unsplash

Answer:

B) India

The national flag of India hoisted on a flagpole, waving in the wind with a clear blue sky in the background

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7. If you marry a U.S. citizen, how many years must you legally live in the U.S. before you can become a citizen, instead of the usual 5 years?

A) No reduction
B) 2 years
C) 3 years
D) 4 years

A close-up of a bride and groom's hands together, with the bride's engagement ring and the groom's wedding band visible

Source: Drew Coffman/Unsplash

Answer:

C) 3 years

A bride and groom, viewed from behind, holding hands and walking through a field with dry grass at sunset

Source: Vadim Paripa/Unsplash

8. Which of the following countries was not one of the top ten countries of origin for immigrants living in the United States in 2015?

A) Dominican Republic
B) Vietnam
C) Cuba
D) Russia

The American flag flying in the breeze on a clear day, with the Statue of Liberty's raised torch visible below against a deep blue sky

Source: Swapnil Bhagwat/Unsplash

Answer:

D) Russia

The colorful, illuminated domes of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow during nighttime, against a dark sky

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9. The first citizenship law in the U.S. was the Naturalization Act of 1790. Under this law, who was allowed to become naturalized as a U.S. citizen??

A) landowning men
B) immigrants who had lived in the U.S. for at least 5 consecutive years
C) “free white persons” of “good moral character” who had lived in the country for at least 5 years
D) “free white persons” of “good moral character” who had lived in the country for at least 2 years

A group of individuals from diverse backgrounds standing and raising their right hands in a room during a naturalization ceremony

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Answer:

D) “free white persons” of “good moral character” who had lived in the country for at least 2 years

A group of individuals standing outdoors, taking the oath of allegiance in a naturalization ceremony, with each person raising their right hand and some holding small American flags and certificates

Source: Wikimedia Commons

10. True or false? A child born outside of the United States to a U.S. citizen automatically becomes a U.S. citizen.

A) True
B) False

Close-up of a newborn baby's tiny feet with toes, wearing a white onesie, against a soft pink background with white hearts

Source: Ignacio Campo/Unsplash

Answer:

B) False

A newborn baby cradled gently in a father's hands, which are securely supporting the baby's head and body

Source: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash

11. When passed in 1996, what crimes did the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act say could get someone deported?

A) Shoplifting
B) Offenses that could lead to 5 or more years in jail
C) Offenses occurring before the passage of the law which were now deportable offenses
D) All of the above

Close-up of tattooed hands gripping the bars of a jail cell, with an orange prison uniform visible in the background

Source: RDNE Stock Project/Pexels

Answer:

D) All of the above

View of a jail cell interior with a stainless steel toilet, white plastic chair, and a bunk bed with a white pillow and a chess set on the lower bed

Source: RDNE Stock Project/Pexels

12. In 2023, immigrants made up roughly what percentage of the American workforce?

A) 19%
B) 13%
C) 29%
D) 8%

A construction worker wearing protective gear is using a circular saw to cut a piece of wood on a workbench

Source: Jeriden Villegas/Unsplash

Answer:

A) 19%

A wide view of a modern office space filled with people working at desks with computers, set against an industrial-style ceiling with hanging lights

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13. As of 2023, approximately how many undocumented immigrants lived in the United States?

A) 11.5 million
B) 43.3 million
C) 12.6 million
D) 28.8 million

A person stands next to a border fence adorned with crosses bearing names, each cross commemorating individuals who have died at the border

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Answer:

C) 12.6 million

A group of people seen from behind, raising their right hands and holding small American flags during a citizenship oath ceremony

Source: K E/Unsplash

14. Approximately how many people were granted legal permanent residence in the United States in 2022?

A) 285,000
B) 1,183,505
C) 723,000
D) 550,000

A diverse group of people sitting and enjoying the sunshine on the wide steps in front of a grand building with tall pillars

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Answer:

C) 723,000

American flags fluttering in the wind at a Memorial Day event, with people seated in chairs

Source: Dan Dennis/Unsplash

15. Which of the following was included in executive orders signed by President Donald J. Trump in January 2017, just after his term began?

A) A ban on the entry of citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen into the United States for ninety days
B) A ban on the admission of refugees into the United States for 120 days
C) An instruction to the Department of Homeland Security to build a physical wall “to obtain complete operational control” of the U.S. border with Mexico
D) All of the above

Donald Trump speaking at a podium with the presidential seal, addressing an audience at an outdoor rally, with attendees wearing red caps in the background

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Answer:

D) All of the above

Donald Trump standing next to a border patrol officer in uniform, in front of a tall metal fence under a clear sky

Source: Wikimedia Commons