New citizenship was originally limited for "immigrants who were free White persons of good character" as per the Naturalization Act of 1790.
It wasn't until the Naturalization Act of 1870 that "aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent" were (rightly) given citizenship.
There is a book authored by Mark Stein, American Panic: A History of Who Scares Us and Why, that details the various injustices imposed on numerous minorities by American citizens and the American government throughout our history. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
Yes, I hope because the people protected by this Naturalization Act were not here by choice. I hope it was recognized this left them without choices and therefore this adjustment was made.
Today, many of those here do have a home country to which they have allegiance to.
I believe that was the reasoning behind it.