U.S. authorities detain people of Chinese descent as they come through the port of San Francisco. The Exclusion Act provides narrowly defined exemptions for ministers, diplomats, teachers, students, merchants, and those passing through the country in travel, who need supporting documents and testimony of "at least one credible white witness."

Returning citizens of Chinese American descent also risk deportation or indefinite detention. Many travelers find filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus is the only way to end the detention and have a judgment reached on their case.