Understanding Alien Contract Labor Law

Alien Contract Labor Law is a complex and often misunderstood topic. The law was enacted in 1885 to regulate the employment of foreign workers in the United States.

The law prohibits the importation of aliens for the purpose of performing labor in the US, unless they are coming voluntarily. This means that companies cannot bring in workers from abroad and force them to work against their will.

The law also requires that all contracts between employers and foreign workers be in writing and contain specific terms, including the duration of the contract and the terms of the worker's employment.

The Alien Contract Labor Law was a major piece of legislation passed in 1885, and it's essential to understand its history and impact.

The law was written in comprehensive terms and stated that it's unlawful for anyone to prepay the transportation or assist the importation of aliens under contract to perform labor in the United States.

The opposition to immigrant labor became especially strong in the case of contract workers, and this law was a direct result of that opposition.

In fact, American workers' antipathy to "alien contract labor" led to the passage of the federal Foran Act in 1885, which banned the landing of foreign contract workers.

The law provided penalties for employers who knowingly bring contract laborers into the country, including a fine of 1,000 dollars.

There were also exemptions from the act, including foreigners temporarily in the United States and engaging other foreigners as secretaries, servants, or domestics, skilled laborers who can't be obtained in the U.S., professional actors, artists, lecturers, or singers, and persons employed strictly as personal or domestic servants.

Here are the specific exemptions outlined in the fifth section of the law:

The Alien Contract Labor Law was a significant step in establishing the fundamental divide in American history between nativism and the nation's reliance on immigrant labor, a reality that still shapes America today.

Martin A. Foran was a Democratic representative from Ohio in the House of Representatives from 1883 until 1889. He introduced the bill that became the Alien Contract Labor Act of 1885, also known as the Foran Act.