by Therese Saliba

For the last twenty years, Michel Shehadeh was accused by the US government of being a terrorist. In 1987, he was arrested in an early morning raid by armed federal agents in Los Angeles along with 6 other Palestinian men and a Kenyan woman. They were jailed for 23 days in a maximum security cell, then released while the government tried to deport them. Through numerous court rulings and appeals, their case made it to the Supreme Court . On October 30, 2007, after what Shehadeh describes as “20 grueling years,” the federal government dropped all charges against the LA-8.

Manzanar, California: Opened March 21, 1942. Closed November 21, 1945. Peak population 10,046. Origin of prisoners: Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, San Joaquin County, and Bainbridge Island, Washington. It was the first of the ten camps to open -- initially as a processing center.

Tuke Lake, California: Opened May 27, 1942. Closed March 20, 1946. Peak population 18,789. Origin of prisoners: American citizens of Japanese descent living in Sacramento area, Southwestern Oregon, and Western Washington. Later, segregated internees were brought from all west coast states and Hawaii. One of the most turbulent camps -- prisoners held frequent protest demonstrations and strikes.

Amache (Granada), Colorado: Opened August 24, 1942. Closed October 15, 1945. Peak population 7,318. Origin of prisoners: Northern California coast, West Sacramento Valley, Northern San Joaquin Valley, and Los Angeles. Thirty-one Japanese Americans from Amache volunteered and lost their lives in World War II. One hundred twenty died here between August 27, 1942 and October 14, 1945.