Mycroft Holmes says:

You clearly have no idea what Ellis Island was like. Long lines, illness everywhere, variety of things could put you in a holding cell until the authorities cleared you. Coming to US has never been a picnic. Just possible.

Lakawak says:

Wow…what ignorance shown here by Dutch Mechanic. The poem on the Stutue of Liberty does not say "C'mon in! The door's open!" As such, immigrants have ALWAYS had to identify themselves. Only in the past, after they did so, they were told "Thanks for telling us your name…but it sounds too foreign…you're NEW name will be Smith"

On the flip side,there is nothing preventing immigratns today from seeing the Statue of Liberty.

So basically…absolutely NOTHING has changed, except the technology has advanced making immigration documentation easier and more thorough.

Baggy says:

Ditto what Mycroft said. Seems like writer is looking through rose colored glasses. How would you like to be stripped down naked along with a hundred other people, have your head shaved and deloused in showers with soap and acetic acid?

OMG they are going to pat you down now and scan you with less radiation than you would normally get by actually flying.

People have become soft.