Why did the U.S. Department of Justice oppose the mass relocation of Japanese Americans?

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Japanese American internment: dispossession — Executive Order 9066 Restaurant “under new management” as a result of the U.S. government's relocation order for Japanese Americans during World War II.

The U.S. Department of Justice opposed the mass relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II because it was against moving innocent civilians. This stance was in contrast to the War Department, which favored detention. Despite the Department of Justice's opposition, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, which granted the military the authority to exclude individuals from designated areas. This order was primarily applied to Japanese Americans on the West Coast, leading to their forced relocation to internment camps. The justification for these actions, despite the lack of evidence of sabotage or espionage, was often cited as national security, with some officials prioritizing it over civil liberties.12345