While he was the Grand Master Workman, he was also the mayor of Scranton (1878–1884). In the 1896 presidential campaign, he supported Republican William McKinley. As a reward, President McKinley appointed Powderly United States Commissioner General of Immigration in 1897. He was dismissed as Commissioner General in 1902 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Powderly's work for immigration reform led to his dismissal. But in 1906 an investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing. He was given the position of Special Immigration Inspector. He then became Chief of the Division of Information in the US Department of Immigration from 1907 to 1921. Next he became Commissioner of Conciliation for the United States Department of Labor (1921–1924).