The confinement or imprisonment of individuals or groups based on their perceived threat, nationality, ethnicity, or political beliefs, often carried out during times of war or national security concerns.
Related terms
Japanese American internment: The forced relocation and internment (concentration camps) of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast during World War II due to fears of potential espionage and sabotage.
Red Scare: A period of intense anti-communist hysteria and fear in the United States during the early Cold War era, resulting in the persecution and blacklisting of individuals suspected of communist sympathies.
Guantanamo Bay detention camp: A U.S. military prison located in Cuba where detainees captured during the War on Terror have been imprisoned without trial or formal charges since 2002.