New Mexico, Alien Arrivals - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains manifests of over 15,000 alien arrivals at Columbus, New Mexico. It corresponds with NARA Publication A3370 Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Columbus, New Mexico,1917-1954. The records are part of Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Name
 * Age
 * Sex
 * Marital Status
 * Occupation
 * Language
 * Race
 * Nationality


 * Have been in United States before
 * People accompanied by
 * Last residence
 * Name and address of family or friend in county they left
 * Date of arrival and place
 * Destination and address of person
 * Physical description
 * Purpose of visit

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the information found in the record to find border crossing records or ship’s manifests
 * Use the record to learn your ancestor’s foreign and “Americanized” names, if they were different
 * Use the record to learn the place of origin then search there for vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death
 * Search for death or burial information in cemetery records
 * Search for an obituary in local newspapers
 * Use the information found in the record to find land records
 * Use the information found in the record to find probate records
 * Search for additional family members in census records
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family
 * Church records in New Mexico may help provide information about family members

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching other localities
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names.
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, then in state, county, or city courts. An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process

Research Helps

 * New Mexico Guided Research
 * New Mexico Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records

Related FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

 * New Mexico Naturalization Records, 1882-1983

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.