Sen. Durbin Draws Parallels Between ICE and WWII Japanese Internment
During a recent Senate Crime and Counterterrorism Subcommittee hearing on immigration enforcement, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) likened the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II.
On the Senate floor, Durbin stated, “There’s only one historical parallel that I can think of that happened in my lifetime, and that would be, of course, the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.” This remark reflects his ongoing involvement in immigration issues and his advocacy for comprehensive reform.
Recently, he blocked a bill proposed by Republicans that aimed to mandate the automatic detention of illegal aliens charged with violent crimes. Advocates of the bill argued it would help ensure due process for immigrants, while critics, including Durbin, expressed concerns over its implications.
Earlier this year, Durbin also commemorated the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, calling its recipients “the future of our country.” He has consistently pushed for the DREAM Act, which seeks to offer a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented individuals.
Durbin has long emphasized the importance of protecting foreign nationals. In a 2018 NPR discussion, he declared that the U.S. should be a “nation of immigrants,” asserting that diversity is a strength that the country should embrace rather than shy away from. His commitment to these issues traces back to his early work on the DREAM Act alongside former Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).
However, his immigration stances have at times sparked controversy. In 2013, he participated in a May Day march in Chicago, where he urged attendees to advocate for “immigration reform.” When questioned about this, he mentioned he was there to support free speech and the Constitutional rights of all groups.
Additionally, Durbin has collaborated with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on issues regarding H-1B visa reform. They sent a letter in September 2025 to tech CEOs, expressing concerns about the employment of foreign workers at the expense of American jobs, highlighting wage disparities in the process.
He has also joined bipartisan efforts to reform the L-1 visa program, which permits multinational companies to transfer employees into the U.S. Their proposal suggests new wage standards and monitoring timelines to prevent exploitation of both L-1 and H-1B visa programs.
Throughout his long career, Durbin has positioned himself as a prominent advocate for immigration reform. He has engaged in negotiations on amnesty and spoken out against the term “chain migration,” labeling it as offensive, even while he used the term in a recent White House discussion.
