I was told by folks who lived it, both Japanese and non-Japanese, that the camps were necessary to protect Japanese-Americans from those who would do them harm as well as to protect America from possible Japanese saboteurs.
I look daggers at Muslim women. I let them know that I have hostility in my heart toward their headdress and what it represents. I hope it makes them nervous.
There were plenty of known Japanese spies and saboteurs in the mix. Lots of Japanese and Americans of Japanese ancestry (some of whom had been sent back to Japan for education/indoctrination) lived on the West Coast, and were more than glad to help Japan’s war efforts. Taking them out individually would have meant compromising the fact that we had broken some key Japanese codes. A great book on the subject with much original material reproduced:
Magic: The Untold Story of U.S. Intelligence and the Evacuation of Japanese Residents from the West Coast During WW II
http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Intelligence-Evacuation-Japanese-Residents/dp/0960273611
I agree completely about those Americans who took advantage of a bad situation.