Final answer:
The correct answer is b) Released into the US within hours. Inspections at Ellis Island typically lasted 3-5 hours, and only 2% of immigrants were denied entry.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ellis Island Immigration Processing
Most immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island were b) Released into the US within hours. Ellis Island opened in 1892 and became a critical part of American immigration history. Inspections for the masses usually took about 3-5 hours, and provided a person was in good health and had no legal impediments, they were released quite swiftly into the country. Only about 2% of immigrants were denied entry and potentially deported due to medical or criminal reasons. The process was significantly quicker for those who had purchased higher class tickets on ships, who were given a cursory inspection onboard and usually bypassed the island's processing center.
Immigrant communities in the United States often included others from the same native country, who shared the same language and customs. This allowed new arrivals to adjust more easily to life in a new country. By contrast, Angel Island on the West Coast of the United States had a more stringent process, and immigrants often faced weeks or months of detention.