Korematsu v. United States Argued October 11-12, 1944 Decided December 18, 1944

Plaintiff’s side The United States Executive Order of 9066 was a presidential order signed and issued during World War II on February 19, 1942. It called for relocation of all Japanese-Americans to internment camps. Fred Korematsu was a Japanese-American who violated Civilian Exclusion Order No.34 He argued that that the Executive Order 9066 was: unconstitutional Violated the 14th U.S. Amendment

Defendant’s Side The attacks of Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces caused the U.S. to fear for it’s safety. In court, the U.S. Government argued that the evacuation was a necessary action in order to protect the country.

Decisions In a 6-3 decision, the Court sided with the Government, ruling that the evacuation was constitutional. Argued that the need to protect the country from espionage outweighed Fred Korematsu’s individual rights; as well as the rights of Americans of Japanese descent.

Repercussions The decision in Korematsu v. United States has been very controversial , with people often judging the protection that the 14th amendment gives to U.S. citizens. On November 10,1983, Korematsu’s conviction for evading internment was overturned after he had challenged the decision that was previously made.