Chester A. Arthur

Chester A. Arthur was the 21st President of the United States, serving from 1881 to 1885. Initially a supporter of Chinese immigration, his presidency saw a significant shift as he signed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, which prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States for ten years. This landmark legislation marked a pivotal moment in American immigration policy, making it the first federal law to exclude a specific ethnic group from entering the country.