Question

Why did the Supreme Court rule in Korematsu verse United States anger supporters of civil liberties

Answer 1

The Korematsu vs. United States case was very controversial, as it dealt with Executive Order 9066. Shortly after Japans attack on Pearl Harbor and US declaration of war on Japan, citizens of Japanese descendant were forced to internment camps within the United States. Japanese-American citizens were sent to these camps even though they committed no crimes and many of them were US citizens who never been to Japan before.

Korematsu felt that be put in internment camps was an abuse of power by the federal government, hence him taking it to court. However, the court ruled in favor of the federal government, saying that placing Japanese-American citizens in internment camps during World War II was not unconstitutional. This angered supporters of civil liberties because these individuals committed no crimes and were treated extremely poor. They felt that this violated several different constitutional rights and went against America's foundation of citizens being entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."