The Immigration Act of 1924, sometimes called the National Origins Act or the Johnson-Reed Act, was designed to restrict immigration to the United States via a quota system based on preexisting populations of immigrants in the United States. Since the 1890s, immigration had been a heated issue in America as millions of new immigrants were passing through Ellis Island and Castle Garden in New York City. Naturalizing these citizens had been a process of confusion and inconsistency around the country as the immigrants far outnumbered the immigration officers at the ports of entry. The Immigration Act of 1924 sought to give more power to the immigration officers to manage the tidal wave of immigrants while at the same time protecting American values and traditions (a top priority for the Harding/Coolidge Republicans).