Trump's deportation policy echoes WWII Japanese internment

The Trump administration's recent use of the Alien Enemies Act has caused concern and sparked a court battle. The act was invoked to deport suspected Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador. Many Japanese Americans are reminded of their own history during World War II when their family members were sent to internment camps under the same law. A federal judge ruled that the act cannot be used for these deportations. However, a U.S. appeals court will hear arguments on the matter on Monday. Japanese Americans, particularly those from the West Coast, see parallels between their past and the current situation. They recall how the FBI targeted their communities after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong, the executive director of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, shared that leaders and teachers were taken away during that time. Her own great-grandfather was one of those arrested. Many of those detained were American citizens, and decades later, the U.S. government admitted that racism, not true security concerns, motivated these actions. Visitors to the museum, like David Nakshima, connect their family experiences to current events. He pointed out that anti-immigrant sentiment is rising again. Local organizations are urging residents in Oregon and Washington to support immigrants and advocate for their legal rights, emphasizing the need to learn from history to prevent repeating past mistakes.