Schatz Statement on Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Korematsu v. United States

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Korematsu v. United States, the 1944 decision that ruled the World War II internment of Japanese-Americans to be constitutional.

“It is beyond ironic that the Supreme Court has used its decision to uphold the president’s Muslim ban as an opportunity to right the wrongs of Korematsu. It should not take 75 years for us to see with moral clarity that it is wrong to discriminate and wrong to oppress people based on their ancestry. In this case, better late than never. I hope that families who still carry the scars of internment find peace in today’s decision, and that the whole nation takes this opportunity to reflect on what it means for us to be in pursuit of a more perfect union.”