internment

Internment is the confinement of individuals or groups by a government or occupying power, typically during war or political unrest, without trial or standard due process. Detention is usually authorized by executive order, wartime statute, or emergency decree and may take place in camps or similar facilities. The term most commonly describes mass measures against civilians deemed security risks, rather than prisoners of war or criminals processed through regular courts. International law generally restricts detention to specific circumstances and requires humane treatment and periodic review.

Historically, the best-known example is the internment of Japanese Americans and residents of Japanese ancestry in the United States during World War II, following Executive Order 9066. About 110,000–120,000 people were moved to camps, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens. The Supreme Court upheld the order in Korematsu v. United States (1944), a ruling widely criticized in retrospect; the United States later issued formal apologies and provided reparations under the 1988 Civil Liberties Act. Canada and other Allied countries also interned civilians of particular ethnic or national backgrounds during the war.

In modern practice, internment-like detention has raised strong civil liberties concerns, especially when carried out without charge or trial. Detention without trial remains controversial in armed conflicts and counterterrorism contexts, including the detention of suspects at facilities such as Guantánamo Bay. International human rights law emphasizes that any detention should be lawful, proportionate, non-discriminatory, and subject to periodic independent review.