Between 1886 and 1924, almost 14 million immigrants entered the United States through New York. The Statue of Liberty was a reassuring sign that they had arrived in the land of their dreams.
Ellis Island served as the nation's major immigration station from 1892 to 1924, after which its role was reduced; during that period an estimated 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island, where they were processed by immigration authorities and obtained permission to enter the United States.