Businessmen often favored relaxed immigration laws because they could pay immigrants less in comparison to American workers.
During the late 19th century, many immigrants from Europe came to the United States in search of new economic opportunities. These opportunities were abundant since the United States was going through a period of rapid industrialization. Businessmen favored these immigrant workers, as they would be willing to work for less money and were willing to work longer hours than American workers. This helped businessmen increase their profits.