Today in labor history: Ellis Island closed

On this day in 1924 Ellis Island closed as immigration entry point. After 1924 the famous island in Jersey City instead served as a detention and deportation center until 1954. After World War 2 Germans soldiers were imprisoned there as well as those on the left deemed hostile during the McCarthy period. Today Ellis Island houses an immigration museum. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were closed after damage by Hurricane Sandy. The storm hit a day after the Statue of Liberty reopened. It had just completed a year long renovation. Albert Einstein, F. Scott Fitzgerald and George Gershwin were among the millions of immigrants that were processed prior to the 1924 closure.

Photo: Creative Commons 3.0


CONTRIBUTOR

Special to People’s World
Special to People’s World

People’s World is a voice for progressive change and socialism in the United States. It provides news and analysis of, by, and for the labor and democratic movements to our readers across the country and around the world. People’s World traces its lineage to the Daily Worker newspaper, founded by communists, socialists, union members, and other activists in Chicago in 1924.

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