The author apologizes that a factual error was made in Hardeep Dhillon (Reference Dhillon2025). The article should have stated that John Wise’s tenure as customs collector began in the 1890s. On page 369, the sentence reads: “That year, John H. Wise detained a young boy named Look Tin Sing at the border, insisting he was subject to immigration laws that required him to carry a re-entry certificate.” The sentence should read: “That year, one of Wise’s predecessors detained a young boy named Look Tin Sing at the border, insisting he was subject to immigration laws that required him to carry a re-entry certificate.”

Additionally, on the same page, a sentence reads: “Likely emboldened by the passage of the new law, federal officials on the Pacific seaboard, including John Wise, began detaining immigrants and U.S. citizens of Chinese ancestry again, claiming they could be deported.” The sentence should read: “Likely emboldened by the passage of the new law, federal inspectors on the Pacific seaboard began detaining immigrants and U.S. citizens of Chinese ancestry again, claiming they could be deported.”

Collins communicated directly with the attorney general as footnote 50 correctly notes. The correlating sentence on page 372 should read: “In a private letter sent to the attorney general while Wong Kim Ark’s case was waiting to be heard, Collins requested the court issue a decision a few months before the presidential election: ‘Otherwise there will be a considerable difficulty in California relative to the votes of the Chinese.’”