ated ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁From ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁the ▁figure ▁clim bed ▁to ▁ 3 3 , 2 7 8 . ▁It ▁dropped ▁to ▁ 2 8 , 4 9 8 ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁and ▁only ▁half ▁that ▁amount ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁when ▁the ▁Re agan ▁administration ▁began ▁placing ▁greater ▁restrictions ▁on ▁U . S . ▁imm igration ▁policy . ▁Less ▁than ▁ 2 , 3 0 0 ▁Tr in idad ian ▁and ▁Tob agon ian ▁imm igr ants ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁and ▁that ▁number ▁scarcely ▁increased ▁during ▁President ▁Re agan ' s ▁second ▁term ▁of ▁office . ▁A ▁few ▁European - Tr in idad ians ▁migr ated ▁during ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁primarily ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁losing ▁their ▁g rip ▁on ▁political ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁Republic ▁with ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁national ism ▁and ▁independence . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁those ▁imm igr ants ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁because ▁Britain ▁had ▁restricted ▁imm igration ▁from ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁islands ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁Is les . ▁A ▁larger ▁number ▁migr ated ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁when ▁oil ▁prices ▁fell , ▁sending ▁the ▁Republic ▁into ▁a ▁deep ▁re cess ion . ▁Tr in idad ians ▁and ▁Tob ag oni ans ▁are ▁now ▁the ▁second ▁largest ▁group ▁of ▁English -