Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 sparked controversy when it called for the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. On December 18, 1944, the Supreme Court further fueled the fire by ruling in favor of the government in Korematsu v. United States. This decision effectively legitimized the forced relocation and incarceration of nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens. The verdict was a devastating blow to the Japanese American community, leading to the loss of property, livelihoods, and civil liberties.