Excerpt from The Immigration Act of 1924
The permanent quota system, which expanded 1921 legislation, placed a significant restriction upon much immigration to the United States. It makes no mention of Western Hemisphere immigration given the economic need for migrant labor. Significant for Jewish immigration, the legislation made no distinction between Jewish refugees and immigrants, thereby severely curtailing the influx of Jewish refugees.
Check out the full text
here, especially the table of immigration quotas put in place through proclamation of President Calvin Coolidge.
EXCLUSION FROM UNITED STATES. SEC. 13.
(a) No immigrant shall be admitted to the United States
unless he
(1) has an unexpired immigration
visa or was born subsequent to the issuance of the immigration visa of the
accompanying parent,
(2) is of the nationality specified
in the visa in the immigration visa,
(3) is a non-quota immigrant if
specified in the visa in the immigration visa as such, and
(4) is otherwise admissible under
the immigration laws.
(b) In such classes of cases and under such conditions as
may be by regulations prescribed immigrants who have been legally admitted to
the United States and who depart therefrom temporarily may be admitted to the
United States without being required to obtain an immigration visa.
(c) No alien ineligible to citizenship shall be admitted to
the United States unless such alien
(1) is admissible as a non-quota
immigrant under the provisions of subdivision (b), (d), or (e) of section 4, or
(2) is the wife, or the unmarried
child under 18 years of age, of an immigrant admissible under such subdivision
(d), and is accompanying or following to join him, or
(3) is not an immigrant as defined
in section 3.
(d) The Secretary of Labor may admit to the United States
any otherwise admissible immigrant not admissible under clause (2) or (3) of
subdivision (a) of this section, if satisfied that such inadmissibility was not
known to, and could not have been ascertained by the exercise of reasonable
diligence by, such immigrant prior to the departure of the vessel from the last
port outside the United States and outside foreign contiguous territory or, in
the case of an immigrant coming from foreign contiguous territory, prior to the
application of the immigrant for admission.
(e) No quota
immigrant shall be admitted under subdivision (d) if the entire number of
immigration visas which may be issued to quota immigrants of the same
nationality for the fiscal year already been issued. If such entire number
of immigration visas has not been issued, then the Secretary of State, upon the
admission of a quota immigrant under subdivision (d), shall reduce by one the
number of immigration visas which may be issued to quota immigrants of the same
nationality during the fiscal year in which such immigrant is admitted; but if
the Secretary of State finds that it will not be practicable to make such
reduction before the end of such fiscal year, then such immigrant shall not be
admitted.
(f) Nothing in this section shall authorize the remission or
refunding of a fine, liability to which has accrued under section 16. …