posted September 21, 2025 05:06 PM            

The United States did refuse many Jewish refugees, especially during the 1930s and 1940s, when Jews were fleeing Nazi persecution. A few key points:

Strict Immigration Quotas: U.S. immigration law at the time was based on the 1924 Immigration Act, which imposed very tight quotas, especially on immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe (where most Jews lived). This greatly limited how many Jewish refugees could enter.

The St. Louis Incident (1939): The most infamous example was the MS St. Louis, a ship carrying over 900 Jewish refugees from Germany. The U.S. refused them entry, as did Cuba and Canada. Most passengers were forced back to Europe; hundreds later died in the Holocaust.

Public Opinion: Polls in the 1930s showed that a majority of Americans opposed taking in large numbers of refugees, even Jewish children. Antisemitism, fear of economic competition during the Depression, and suspicion of “foreigners” all played a role.

Evian Conference (1938): The U.S. called an international meeting in Evian, France, to discuss the refugee crisis. But the U.S. (and most countries) offered little increase in quotas, effectively leaving Jews trapped in Europe.

Some Efforts: Despite these restrictions, some Jews did get in — about 200,000 between 1933 and 1945 — but far fewer than could have been saved if quotas had been loosened.