Irish immigrants also became suspect, because some Irish nationalists supported the German side in hopes that a British defeat would result in Ireland's independence. Russian immigrants were feared as possible anarchists and communists, as the “Red Scare” took hold with the onset of the Russian Revolution. he outbreak of World War I greatly reduced immigration from Europe but also imposed new duties on the Immigration Service. Internment of enemy aliens (primarily seamen who worked on captured enemy ships) became a Service responsibility. While earlier arrivals were largely British, Irish or German, most of these recent immigrants were from Eastern, Central and Southern Europe. A smaller number came from Asian countries. Their arrival increased the U.S. population while introducing unfamiliar languages and cultures into American society.
