Which group faced internment during World War II in the United States?

During World War II, Japanese Americans faced internment in the United States primarily due to widespread fear and prejudice following the attack on Pearl Harbor. After the attack in December 1941, government officials and the public speculated that Japanese Americans could be loyal to Japan and might pose a security threat. As a result, in 1942, the U.S. government authorized the forced relocation and incarceration of around 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens, into internment camps situated in isolated areas.

This action was justified at the time under the guise of national security, but it has since been recognized as a severe violation of civil liberties. The internment policy was officially supported by the government, and it was not until decades later that the injustices faced by Japanese Americans were acknowledged, leading to reparations and a formal apology from the U.S. government in the 1980s.

While German Americans, Italian Americans, and Russian Americans also faced suspicion during the war, they were largely not subjected to the same level of widespread internment or forced relocation as Japanese Americans.