It has been estimated that 23,000 immigrants to the United States between 1920 and 1954 were processed at the East Boston Immigration Station. What was once the Ellis Island of Boston, is now an empty yellow brick building, a fire hazard, and home only to skunks and feral cats. In a few weeks the building that played a significant part in Boston’s immigration history, will be torn down. 10 years after residents in the area petitioned to have the old immigration building protected as a historic landmark, the Landmarks Commission in Boston decided last year that it would not be. The reason it’s not being protected is that the building is in poor condition and lacks original artifacts. Instead the piece of land that the building sits on will be used by the Boston Harbor Marina for boat repairs. The East Boston Immigration Station was opened in 1920, and was the first immigration station in Boston that was built for its purpose. Those immigrants arriving at Boston that had to be investigated more closely, or approximately ten percent of the 230,000 that came between 1920 and 1954, had to go through the yellow building. It was estimated in 1922 that 100-200 people were detained in the building every week. The immigration station was also the last stop for many who were deported from the United States, and during World War II it detained people that were considered to be a threat to national security.