The U.S. government thought it would be important to contain the Japanese-american people because society viewed them as a potential threat towards the country during the time of war. After the war however, the government regretted mistreating these people and apologized to them. The "significance" at the time was to keep the "threat" contained, after the war the "significance" was that it taught the U.S. government and society that people should not assume things and shouldn't take peoples' rights away