By Louis Chan
AsAmNews National Correspondent
Efforts by the Tule Lake Committee to halt the sale of an airport which they say will ruin both the integrity and tranquility of the incarceration camp have failed for now.
The 18-page ruling by the judge in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento yesterday leaves the door open for the committee to file the motion again, which they plan to do.
“This is very encouraging, because the order gives us an opportunity to move forward. We have the opportunity for a new motion that focuses on the areas identified in the order.” said Barbara Takei to AsAmNews.
The Tule Lake Committee is seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the city of TuleLake from giving the Tulelake Airport to the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma for $17,500 in legal fees, according to Rafu Shimpo.
The Committee is asking supporting organizations to file amicus briefs to protect the historic site from “adverse impacts” due to airport activities.
“The main issue is preserving the site,” said Takei. “The tribe has expressed a desire to expand aviation activities which is incompatible with preserving the site.”
Rafu Shimpo reports the city’s lawyer, Michael Colantuono, has referred to the Tule Lake site as a “piece of dirt.”
AsAmNews reached out to an attorney representing the tribe, but he did not get back to us.
The Tule Lake Segregation Center, at its peaked imprisoned more than 18,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. It incarcerated those who refused to take a loyalty oath in protest of what they considered the unconstitutionality of the incarceration order.
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff or submitting a story.
