What happened to the requirements?

Around 1887, my great-grandfather, Joachim Stein, 44, a farmer in Barth, Germany, requested a permit for himself, his wife and four children to emigrate to the United States. Upon receiving the permit, the family departed from the Port of Hamburg, Germany, aboard the ship SS Dania early in May 1890, traveling in steerage, arriving at Castle Garden, New York, on May 22, 1890.

In order to enter the U.S. they were required to have a sponsor to ensure that they would not become wards of the state. The family arrived in Cleveland, Ohio, where my grandfather, August Stein, age 18, obtained employment as a wire drawer in the steel mills. He quickly learned to read and write English and on March 27, 1899 — ten years after arriving in the U.S. — he became a U.S. citizen. My question is, why these requirements are not applied to immigrants arriving along our border with Mexico?

Frank C. White

Spokane