Angela Carlozzi Rossi (1901-1977) was an American social worker who worked for the Italian Welfare League from 1934 to 1973, serving as executive secretary and later as head of the Immigrant Aid Department.
As the daughter of immigrants from Foggia, Italy, she was the first social worker with a "foreign background" to be hired by the Society for the Protection of Children in Philadelphia.
At the time, many Italians who had relatives in the United States were confused by the documentation requirements and entered the country illegally.
In many cases, the head of a household was deported, leaving behind a wife and children who were legal U.S. residents or citizens.
In many cases, according to Rossi, innocent people were needlessly detained for months at a time due to bureaucratic mixups.