An enemy alien is a label assigned during World War I and World War II to people from countries that were at war with Canada. The rights of enemy aliens were sometimes restricted, and there were internment camps. Japanese people were considered 'enemy aliens' during World War II. In law an enemy alien is a citizen of a country which is in a state of conflict with the land in which he or she is located. Usually, but not always, the countries are in a state of declared war. Well known examples of enemy aliens in World War II were the Japaneses citizens residing in the USA. Many of these Japanese and Japanese-Americans were imprisoned in internment camps by President Roosevelt during wartime, alongside many Italian-Americans. However, many of these Japaneses-Americans and Italian-Americas were not actually legally enemy aliens. Many of them held American citizenship and were born in the USA. Persons who lived in the USA, Canada and Mexico but who held citizenship in enemy countries during World War II, were required to have a Enemy Alien card and register monthly with authorities.
