[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 24 (Monday, June 15, 1998)]
[Page 1103]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Wrongful Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese 
Descent

June 12, 1998

    I am pleased that the Department of Justice has reached a settlement 
that will compensate Latin Americans of Japanese ancestry for their 
wrongful internment during World War II. The United States Government 
forcibly brought these individuals to the United States from their homes 
in Latin America during the war and interned them with U.S. citizens and 
permanent residents of Japanese ancestry.
    Through the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, our Nation offered redress 
to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who suffered serious injustice. 
This settlement addresses the injustice endured by Japanese Latin 
Americans who were interned.
    Payments for this settlement will come from the fund established by 
the Civil Liberties Act. If the fund proves insufficient, I will work 
with the Congress to enact legislation appropriating the necessary 
resources to ensure that all eligible claimants can obtain the 
compensation provided by this settlement.