Jayapal To Introduce Legislation To Prevent Use Of WWII-Era Law For Mass Deportation

India-West Staff Reporter

WASHINGTON, DC — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), the Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, announced plans to introduce new legislation aimed at preventing the Trump administration from using a long-dormant World War II-era law for mass deportations. The proposed No Round Up Act seeks to repeal provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that could empower the government to target immigrants, drawing from the shameful legacy of the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

“This policy is tied to some of the darkest chapters of our history, including the xenophobic and racist internment of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps during WWII,” Jayapal said in a statement. “Now, the Trump administration seeks to resurrect this law and use it as a weapon against immigrants, compelling them to register and subjecting them to a mass deportation scheme.”

The law in question, which has been dormant for decades, was originally enacted during World War II and used to justify the forced internment of Japanese Americans.

“By targeting immigrants who have built lives in this country, this policy would do nothing but tear families apart and put a target on the backs of some of the most vulnerable members of our society,” Jayapal added.

The No Round Up Act has garnered widespread support among lawmakers, including Representatives Judy Chu (CA-28), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), among others.