---
title: "Immigration and Nationality Act | Texas Government"
description: "The Immigration and Nationality Act is the federal law that shapes who can enter, stay, or seek protection in the U.S., a major issue in Texas Government."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/hs-texas-gov/key-terms/immigration-and-nationality-act"
type: "key-term"
subject: "Texas Government"
unit: "Unit 12"
---

# Immigration and Nationality Act | Texas Government

## Definition

The Immigration and Nationality Act is the main federal law that controls immigration rules in the United States. In Texas Government, it matters because it shapes who can live, work, or seek protection in Texas and how the state responds to federal immigration policy.

## What It Is

The Immigration and Nationality Act, or INA, is the federal law that sets the basic rules for immigration in the United States. In Texas Government, you usually meet it as the law behind visa categories, green card pathways, asylum requests, and the legal status of undocumented immigrants. It is not a Texas law, but it strongly affects Texas because immigration is one of the biggest policy issues in the state.

The INA was passed in 1952 to pull many older immigration rules into one system. That matters because immigration policy had been handled through a patchwork of earlier laws, and the INA created a more organized framework for deciding who could enter the country, who could stay, and under what conditions. Over time, Congress amended it, and those changes shifted immigration patterns and legal categories.

One of the biggest changes connected to the INA was the Immigration Act of 1965. That law ended the old quota system that heavily favored immigrants from Europe and opened the door more widely to immigrants from Asia, Africa, and other regions. If you are tracing Texas population growth, workforce changes, or cultural diversity, that shift is a major background fact. Texas grew into a state where immigration is tied to labor, family reunification, education, and border policy all at once.

The INA also organizes the difference between temporary and permanent legal entry. A visa usually allows someone to come for a limited purpose, like school, work, or tourism. A green card means lawful permanent residence, which gives a person a much stronger legal status than a temporary visa. The law also sets up asylum and refugee rules for people who are fleeing persecution and need protection.

In Texas politics, the INA comes up because the state sits on the front line of immigration debates. Texas officials, legislators, and voters often argue about border security, undocumented immigrants, employer rules, and how much the state should cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Even when the rules are federal, Texas government classes study the INA because it shapes state policy fights, court cases, and public debate.

## Why It Matters

The INA matters in Texas Government because it gives you the legal framework behind nearly every immigration debate you hear about in Texas. If a class discussion is about border security, asylum, sanctuary cities, or DACA-style policy arguments, the INA is the background law that explains what the federal government can actually regulate.

It also helps you separate legal status from political rhetoric. A person may be a visa holder, a lawful permanent resident, an asylum seeker, or an undocumented immigrant, and each category carries different rights and limits under federal law. Texas policy arguments often turn on those differences, so mixing them up leads to weak answers on essays, class discussion, or source analysis.

The INA also connects immigration to Texas demographics and the economy. Immigration affects labor markets, school enrollment, local services, and population growth, especially in border regions and major metro areas. When you read about why Texas leaders emphasize border security or why others stress immigrant labor and family reunification, the INA is part of the legal structure underneath those debates.

For the course, it is a bridge concept. It links the U.S. Constitution, federal power, state responses, and current events in one place.

## Connections

### Visa

A visa is one of the main tools created and regulated under the Immigration and Nationality Act. It gives someone permission to enter the United States for a specific purpose, such as study, work, or tourism, but it does not automatically mean permanent residence. In Texas Government, visa policy often shows up in discussions about labor, universities, and who is legally present in the state.

### Green Card

A green card is the common term for lawful permanent residence, which the INA helps define and regulate. This is a different status from a temporary visa because it lets a person live in the United States more permanently and gives access to a different legal process. Texas immigration debates often use green cards as a reference point when comparing legal immigration to undocumented status.

### Asylum

Asylum is the protection someone can request when they fear persecution in their home country. The INA sets the legal rules for that process, so asylum is not just a political talking point, it is part of federal immigration law. In Texas, asylum is often discussed alongside border crossings, court backlogs, and how the state handles people seeking protection.

### [undocumented immigrants](/hs-texas-gov/key-terms/undocumented-immigrants)

Undocumented immigrants are people who are in the United States without legal immigration status under the rules set by federal law, including the INA. This term is central to Texas debates because state leaders, employers, schools, and local governments all deal with the effects of federal immigration categories. It is a status term, not a single policy or a nationality.

## On the AP Exam

A quiz question might ask you to identify what the INA does, or a short-answer prompt might ask how federal immigration law affects Texas policy. When you see a political cartoon, news excerpt, or class reading about border security, you can use the INA to explain why Texas cannot make its own immigration system from scratch. It is the federal law that sets the legal categories, while Texas responds through enforcement, services, and political debate.

In an essay or discussion response, use the INA to separate legal immigration pathways from arguments about state control. If a prompt mentions visas, green cards, asylum, or undocumented immigrants, connect each one back to the federal framework instead of treating them as separate issues. That kind of move shows you understand how Texas Government links state politics to national law.

## Immigration and Nationality Act vs Immigration Act of 1965

The Immigration and Nationality Act is the larger federal law framework, while the Immigration Act of 1965 is a major amendment that changed the INA's rules. Students often mix them up because both are tied to U.S. immigration policy. If the question asks about the basic legal structure, think INA. If it asks about the end of the quota system and a major shift in immigration patterns, think 1965.

## Key Takeaways

- The Immigration and Nationality Act is the main federal law that organizes U.S. immigration rules.
- In Texas Government, the INA matters because Texas deals directly with the effects of federal immigration policy.
- The law covers major categories like visas, green cards, asylum, and undocumented status.
- The 1965 immigration changes are an important amendment because they reshaped who could immigrate more easily.
- When Texas debates border security or immigration reform, the INA is the legal backdrop behind the argument.

## FAQs

### What is the Immigration and Nationality Act in Texas Government?

It is the federal law that sets the rules for immigration into the United States, including who can enter, stay, work, or seek protection. In Texas Government, it matters because Texas politics often revolve around how federal immigration law affects the state.

### Is the Immigration and Nationality Act a Texas law?

No. It is a federal law passed by Congress, not the Texas Legislature. Texas still has to deal with its effects through state policy, law enforcement, schools, and public debate.

### How is the Immigration and Nationality Act different from the Immigration Act of 1965?

The INA is the broader immigration law framework, while the Immigration Act of 1965 is a major amendment to it. The 1965 law ended the old quota system and changed immigration patterns, especially by opening more access for immigrants from Asia and Africa.

### Why does the Immigration and Nationality Act matter for border security?

Because border security debates are really about how the federal immigration system is enforced. The INA defines many of the legal categories that officers, courts, and policymakers use when deciding who is admitted, detained, protected, or removed.

## Related Study Guides

- [12.1 Immigration](/hs-texas-gov/unit-12/immigration/study-guide/qEhRlxFI0WQQQHKY)

## About This Document

Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`.

- [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns
- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing
- [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`)
- [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`)

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