Question

How did the Supreme Court rule the hirabayashi v United States and why?

Answer 1

BACKGROUND:

In the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt issued two executive orders which were quickly enacted into law. One gave the Secretary of War the power to designate certain parts of the country "military areas" and exclude certain persons from them. The second established the War Relocation Authority which had the power to remove, maintain, and supervise persons who were excluded from the military areas.

ANSWER

The Court held that the application of curfews against members of a minority group was constitutional when the nation was at war with the country from which that group originated.

The Court focused solely on the curfew, which the Court viewed as a necessary "protective measure." Stone argued that racial discrimination was justified since "in time of war residents having ethnic affiliations with an invading enemy may be a greater source of danger than those of a different ancestry."