The immigration inspectors confiscated the Chinese residence certificates without providing receipts, causing the owners months of agony, knowing they could not prove their legitimate right to reside in the United States.

During raids, inspectors often demanded to see the residence certificates the Chinese needed to stay in the United States. In some cases, the inspectors confiscated them without providing receipts, causing the owners months of agony, knowing they could not prove their legitimate right to reside in the United States. If the Chinese could not produce their certificates, they were expected to explain how they had lost them, which was impossible for many to do. Some immigrants exhausted their entire life savings paying legal bills and hiring detectives to locate witnesses to testify on their behalf. (Chang 154)

Xue-Ming Bao

Seton Hall University

The immigration inspectors confiscated the Chinese residence certificates without providing receipts, causing the owners months of agony, knowing they could not prove their legitimate right to reside in the United States.