Finally made it to Ellis Island in New York. From the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, nearly half of all immigrants coming to the US entered through this island. Back then, almost everyone traveled by sea, and ships would dock here. First and second-class passengers were usually disembarked earlier, directly in Manhattan. Everyone else was sent for mandatory medical screening on Ellis Island. They were primarily looking for viral diseases. If there was any suspicion, people were isolated in the hospital, and it's through this hospital's buildings that tours are conducted.

Those with incurable illnesses were sent back at the carrier's expense. If it was clear that someone wouldn't survive the return journey, they'd be kept in the hospital. There was a special ward with the best view of the Statue of Liberty for such people. But no one stayed for long. Mental illness also often resulted in deportation, though there weren't clear criteria for this.

Children presented a separate challenge: if parents were healthy, only the sick children would be kept for treatment. In some cases, this could last several months. Then they'd work out the logistics of reunification. Despite all the complexity, there were no notable cases of anyone getting lost.

For Americans, there's a special attraction here—trying to find relatives who entered the country through this port.