About Us
The German American Internee Coalition (“GAIC”) was formed in 2005 by and for German American and Latin American citizens and legal residents who were interned by the United States during World War II. We are former internees, or their families and friends. We come from all walks of life and from countries around the world. We would like you to know our story. GAIC is a nonprofit corporation registered with the New Hampshire Department of Charitable Trusts.
Our Mission Statement & Goals
GAIC is dedicated to making public the little known United States World War II policies that led to internment, repatriation and exchange of civilians of German ethnicity, both in the United States and Latin America.
- We will educate the general public about the U.S. government’s detention and internment of over 11,000 German American and Latin American citizens and residents during World War II.
- We will reach out to former internees, their families and supporters. We will gather their stories, share information, and support their efforts to make their stories known.
- We will seek full U.S. government review and acknowledgment of the civil rights violations endured by the German American and Latin American communities.
- We will work collaboratively with other internee groups who have similar purposes. As we work toward these goals, we also hope that our efforts result in better protection of the civil liberties of future vulnerable ethnic groups.
In February 2017 we became concerned by the then President and his administration’s actions regarding immigrants. Our concerns have deepened. On March 15, 2025, President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, stating that an “invasion” by a Venezuelan gang made it necessary. This allowed the administration to treat some immigrants as alien enemies, stripping them of their rights, rounding them up and deporting them to El Salvador. The Alien Enemies Act, designed for wartime use against foreign adversaries, has no place in modern immigration policy. It is time for it’s repeal. Read our statement of condemnation.
What’s New?
Two Articles about German Latin American Experiences during WW II
Zach Dyer, a journalist based in San José, Costa Rica, wrote two articles in December 2014, about German Costa Rican experiences with arrest, internment, and expulsion from Costa Rica. The first, published in The Guardian on December 5, 2014, is entitled "Lost story...
Calls for Review of German Internment – H. R. 1357
Home Events History Internment Camps Real People Resources ContactCalls for Review of German Internment - HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H. R. 1357 On July 31, 2008, the House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 1357 commemorating the 20th anniversary of...
Tuna Canyon Detention Station (TCDS) Coalition Hosts First Multicultural Panel, “Discovering History in Your Own Backyard,”
On March 30, 2014, the Tuna Canyon Detention Station (TCDS) Coalition hosted its first multicultural panel, "Discovering History in Your Own Backyard," at 12953 Branford Street, Pacoima, CA. Sigrid Toye, Min Tonai, Reverend Dr. Yoshi Tsuyuki, and Grace Shimizu,...
Wartime Treatment Study Act of 2007
In May 2007, the Judiciary Committee of the Senate published a report on SB 621, an earlier version of the Wartime Treatment Study Act, recommending that it be passed. The Congressional Record of May 24, 2007 has Senator Feingold's comments on the bill starting at the...
Ft. Meade guard tower. Image from sketch by German internee Paul Lameyer, courtesy of his grandson, Randy Houser.
History
