Title: To apologize for the treatment of Italian Americans during World War II.
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Summary:
This bill declares that Congress apologizes on behalf of the nation for violations of the civil liberties and constitutional rights of Italian Americans during World War II.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1707 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1707

 To apologize for the treatment of Italian Americans during World War 
                                  II.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 23, 2017

  Ms. Lofgren (for herself and Mr. Pascrell) introduced the following 
       bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To apologize for the treatment of Italian Americans during World War 
                                  II.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. APOLOGY FOR THE TREATMENT OF ITALIAN AMERICANS DURING WORLD 
              WAR II.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Over 15 million Italians have immigrated to the United 
        States since 1852.
            (2) Italian immigrants have provided a culture and heritage 
        that has enriched American life.
            (3) The treatment of Italian Americans during World War II 
        was authorized by the Act of July 6, 1798 (Chapter 66, Sec. 1; 
        1 Stat. 577; 50 U.S.C. 21; commonly known as the Alien Enemies 
        Act).
            (4) Additional authority for the treatment of Italian 
        Americans during World War II was based on Executive Order 9066 
        (7 Fed. Reg. 1407) and Executive Order 9102 (7 Fed. Reg. 2165).
            (5) These orders required Italian-born citizens and their 
        families to carry identification cards, face travel 
        restrictions, and obey curfews.
            (6) These orders authorized the seizure of personal 
        property.
            (7) 10,000 Italian Americans living on the West Coast were 
        forced to leave their homes and were prohibited from entering 
        coastal zones during World War II.
            (8) Thousands of Italian American immigrants were arrested 
        and hundreds were interned in military camps during World War 
        II.
            (9) The treatment of Italian Americans during World War II 
        needs to be acknowledged in order to remember those whose lives 
        were unjustly disrupted and whose freedoms were violated.
            (10) Acknowledging and apologizing for the treatment of 
        Italian Americans during World War II would help repair the 
        Italian American community and would discourage the occurrence 
        of similar injustices and violations of civil liberties in the 
        future.
    (b) Statement of Congress.--For these fundamental violations of the 
basic civil liberties and constitutional rights of Italian Americans 
during World War II, Congress apologizes on behalf of the Nation.
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