Rep. Mark Takano Statement on Senator Rand Paul Comparing Immigration Relief to Internment of Japanese Americans

Washington DC - Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) released the following statement after Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) made comments comparing the recent executive action issued by President Obama to the internment of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II:

 

"Senator Paul’s comments likening President Obama’s executive action that provides immigration relief to millions of people in this nation to the internment of Japanese Americans is insulting - not only to the millions who will benefit from President Obama's executive action, but to the thousands of Japanese who were interned during World War II, including my own mother and father. At best, his comments are revisionist history, wrapped in a logical fallacy. 

 

"President Obama’s executive action prioritizes the protection of vulnerable, hardworking immigrants. Executive Order 9066 did the opposite and was not just a failure of the executive, but a failure of each branch of government, as Congress allowed the internment of thousands to take place, and the Supreme Court failed to uphold the constitutional rights of those interned. 

 

"While I’m sure that Senator Paul's purpose of making these comments was to feed the libertarian fantasy of rampant government overreach in everything President Obama does, the fact remains that there is absolutely no comparison to his executive action, which allows millions of hardworking immigrants to no longer live in fear, and the systematic stripping of basic human rights of Japanese Americans by every branch of government."