I've heard that some were feared to be Nazi spies, or that America was also antisemitic, and that economy simply couldn't support a sudden flux and increase of immigrants at that time. Just was wondering if there was any truth to this and what books or articles I should read, because, well... You guys are the best at that sort of stuff. Thank you!
Immigration Act of 1924.
It had a quota system that dominated immigration for years. A specialist can probably elaborate much better than I could on the various socio-historical causes and effects of the legislation.
The US still accepted a significant number of fleeing German Jews in the 1930s, though. It's just they also rejected a fairly large percentage, as with many immigrant groups of certain national origins.
Here's the text - http://tucnak.fsv.cuni.cz/~calda/Documents/1920s/ImmigAct1924.html
I've actually worked directly with primary sources from precisely this time period. Many, many people suspected the Jewish refugees of being German spies. There was also a general fear that the United States and other countries would accept refugees too hastily, without vetting them to see if they were spies or genuinely in need of assistance.
A little known fact is that many refugees who fled Germany were actually sent back, often to their deaths. Thousands more were detained in holding camps, especially Jews who tried to escape to what later became Israel.
Source:
W.P. Crozier Papers, John Rylands Library, U.K.