The Workers of Ellis Island
An Ellis Island worker conducting a trachoma exam. Library of Congress
 Ellis Island nurse Lillian Wheeler giving a child a bath. National Park Service, Statue of Liberty NM
On a typical day at the Ellis Island Immigration Station, immigrants came face to face with inspectors, interpreters, nurses, doctors, social workers, and many others. As a large federal facility employing approximately five hundred employees at a time, Ellis Island was a well-organized workforce. The complex work of processing thousands of immigrants a year required a full complement of staff. Some names are known; others remain anonymous, but all of them contributed to the primary function of the Immigration Station on Ellis Island -- to make sure that newcomers to the United States were legally and medically fit to enter the country. Learn about the types of work performed on Ellis Island and some of the individual employees who worked in these jobs.
(Library of Congress) The Immigrants Each of the men, women, and children who passed through the immigration station on Ellis Island helped shape the history and culture of the United States.
Many of these individuals came through as immigrants; others were detained here for legal issues.
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Last updated: January 29, 2018