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Until the 1920s, the United States territory was wide open; since then, and up to the 1960s, it was closed. The 1965 Law allowed massive non European immigration. This situation lasted until the 1980s, when non consensual reforms were adopted. Nowadays illegal immigration constitutes a real problem that the Federal State hands over to the states for a solution. In the current campaign, Hispanic vote represents one of the key issues.François Vergniolle de Chantal is a Lecturer at the University of Bourgogne.