[141] In 1916, Wilson purchased by treaty the Danish West Indies, renamed as the United States Virgin Islands.[142]
Immigration from Europe declined significantly once World War I began and Wilson paid little attention to the issue during his presidency.[143] However, he looked favorably upon the "new immigrants" from southern and eastern Europe, and twice vetoed laws passed by Congress intended to restrict their entry, though the later veto was overridden.[144]

Judicial appointments
Main article: Woodrow Wilson Supreme Court candidates
For a more comprehensive list, see List of federal judges appointed by Woodrow Wilson.
Wilson nominated three men to the United States Supreme Court, all of whom were confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In 1914, Wilson nominated sitting Attorney General James Clark McReynolds. Despite his credentials as an ardent trust buster,[145] McReynolds became a staple of the court's conservative bloc until his retirement in 1941.[146] According to Berg, Wilson considered appointing McReynolds one of his biggest mistakes in office.[147] In 1916, Wilson nominated Louis Brandeis to the Court, setting off a major debate in the Senate over Brandeis's progressive ideology and his religion; Brandeis was the first Jewish nominee to the Supreme Court. 