Answer: Members of the Know-Nothing Party believed immigrants were undermining American society.
Explanation:
Not all Americans welcomed the flood of immigrants. Many “natives” resented the newcomers, with their alien languages and mysterious customs. In popular parlance, the American party became the Know-Nothing party. For an entire season, the party grew in power and appeared to be in a verge of achieving major-party status. During 1854 they had enormous victories at the Massachusetts legislature and advanced to control New England, New York, and Maryland. One of their demands was the total exclusion of immigrants and Catholics from public offices and a change in the citizenship process by expanding the required period from 5 to 21 years, but the party never found the political strength to establish such legislation. Nor did Congress restrict immigration in any the way during that period.
