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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A California congressman who was imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp during World War II is criticizing a Utah Republican candidate for his plan to detain undocumented immigrants in tent cities.
In statement issued Friday, California Democratic Rep. Mike Honda said the plan from Jason Chaffetz, who is running for Utah's 3rd Congressional District seat, is an "odious reminder" of a shameful time in U.S. history. He says Chaffetz's comments on the plan will "fuel resentment toward targeted ethnic groups."
"Jason Chaffetz's comments are more than just offensive and embarrassing to all Americans; they demonstrate a blatant disregard of the need to be vigilant in remembering the lessons learned from a disgraceful chapter in U.S. history," Honda said.
A native of California, Honda spent part of his childhood in a Japanese internment camp in Granada, Colo.
Chaffetz says he never singled out any specific ethnic group in his immigration proposal and wants an apology from Honda.
Chaffetz says the idea to house convicted immigrants in prison camps ringed by barbed wire was borrowed from the Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff's office, which houses prisoners awaiting deportation in tent cities.
His immigration plan includes no pathway to citizenship and would require all undocumented persons to be deported if they don't return home voluntarily.
"Where these guys are overstepping the line is saying that it has anything to do with ethnicity. They absolutely should apologize for that. That has never been my position, and it is terribly unfair and inaccurate," Chaffetz said. "If you're breaking the law and you're a fugitive, I want to go after you and put you in jail. I don't care if you're from Russia, Japan or Guatemala, it doesn't matter to me."
Chaffetz's Democratic opponent in the 3rd District race, Bennion Spencer, said Chaffetz's "tent city" approach doesn't represent the values of Utahns.
During the war, Utah's Topaz camp housed more than 8,000 detainees. Last year the camp, located in the 3rd Congressional District, was designated a national historic landmark.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
