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Why did people go to Ellis Island?

After 1924, the only passengers brought to Ellis Island were those who had problems with their paperwork, as well as war refugees and displaced persons needing assistance. Ellis Island remained for three more decades serving a multitude of purposes, including a World War II detention center for enemy merchant seamen.



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Ellis Island
  • Location: New York Harbor.
  • Immigrants processed: 19 million.
  • Number rejected: 1.2 million.
  • Percentage rejected: 6%
  • Average length of stay: 1 day.


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Fact Sheet: Ellis Island - Statue of Liberty NM
  • Welcomed Immigrants from Around the World.
  • Established: May 11, 1965 as part of Statue of Liberty.
  • Location: Mouth of the Hudson River, New York Harbor, Ellis Island.
  • Overview: Opened on January 1, 1892, Ellis Island became the nation's premier federal immigration station.


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Since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1998, Ellis Island, which is federal property, belongs within the territorial jurisdiction of both New York and New Jersey depending upon where you are.

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Visitors can tour the Main Building of the former immigration complex, which is now home to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. A world class experience, the Museum is home to an evocative series of exhibits and houses an amazing collections of artifacts from America's history.

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