SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — This San Diego family was forced out of their home in the 1940s. They were American citizens, crammed into internment camps with scarce resources simply for having Japanese ancestry.
"There was no safety, psychologically or physically," said Hanae Hara, a member of San Diego's Japanese American Historical Society.
They were Hanae Hara's grandparents, Hara's father was born during their incarceration. The U.S. government put the Hara family and more than 120,000 innocent Japanese Americans into overcrowded barracks for years after Pearl Harbor. This was enabled through the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows the president to detain and deport people connected to an enemy nation without due process.
"When you hear something like this coming back, being invoked again. What do you feel?"
"Im absolutely livid," Hara said. "It ripples for multiple generations. For all other minorities who had some type of diasporic experience, it causes psychological trauma over and over again."
Japanese Americans are now being reminded of this infamous period in history. As the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members in Tren de Aragua. President Trump claims the gang is an 'invading force' conducting irregular warfare in the u-s.
"We need checks and balances," said Representative Juan Vargas of CA's 52nd Congressional District. "This ancient law gives the president way too much power to misuse."
Representative Juan Vargas co-sponsored legislation to repeal the president's powers under this act. Although he recognizes it's unlikely to pass through a Republican-led Senate and House.
"At least we put a marker down and say this is a bad law. There are other opportunities for the federal government to go after people if they are traitors or if there is a problem, they don't need this act, and it should be repealed," Vargas said.
"It really is a time when we need to cluster together and find our common ground," Hara said.
Hara worries this act could once again lead to the incarceration of innocent migrants. She’s speaking out so that history does not repeat itself.
