Final answer:
The issue of Japanese internment during WWII and the USA PATRIOT Act concerns the conflict between national security and individual liberties, where actions taken for security purposes have led to debates about constitutional rights and executive power.
Step-by-step explanation:
The constitutional issue raised by the Japanese internment camps during World War II and the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 revolves around the tension between national security and individual liberties. During WWII, following the Pearl Harbor attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, leading to the internment of over 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry, including U.S. citizens. The Supreme Court upheld this action in Korematsu v. United States, on the grounds of national security, disregarding the constitutional rights of those interned. Similar debates arose with the USA PATRIOT Act, which expanded government surveillance and detention powers in the name of countering terrorism, again putting individual rights under scrutiny for the sake of national security.
In the aftermath of these events, the U.S. government has taken actions to redress past injustices, such as the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which provided an apology and compensation to survivors of the Japanese internment camps. However, these historical instances highlight the ongoing debate about the balance between security and liberty, especially during times of war or national emergency. They raise questions about the extent of the president's war powers and the effectiveness of constitutional checks on executive power.