▁perce ived ▁threat ▁against ▁Latin ▁America ▁and ▁se cur ing ▁the ▁strateg ically ▁important ▁Pan ama ▁Canal ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁the ▁US ▁government ▁as ▁vital . ▁ ▁Deport ation ▁ ▁U . S . ▁Government ▁requests ▁the ▁arrest ▁and ▁deport ation ▁of ▁“ all ▁dangerous ▁al iens ” ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁elected ▁to ▁use ▁intern ment ▁and ▁deport ation ▁to ▁neutral ise ▁the ▁perce ived ▁threat ▁pos ed ▁by ▁eth nic ▁Germ ans ▁following ▁American ▁entry ▁into ▁war . ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁perce ived ▁in comp et ence ▁and ▁possible ▁German ▁in fil tr ation ▁of ▁Latin ▁American ▁govern ments , ▁local ▁intern ment ▁was ▁de emed ▁ins u fficient ▁as ▁a ▁solution . ▁▁ ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁Pan ama ▁carried ▁out ▁arr ests ▁of ▁Japanese , ▁German , ▁and ▁Italian ▁national s . ▁Following ▁the ▁arr ests ▁the ▁US ▁Amb assador ▁in ▁Pan ama ▁requested ▁that ▁the ▁Pan aman ian ▁government ▁send ▁the ▁inter ne es ▁to ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁cit ing ▁the ▁log ist ical ▁difficulties ▁of ▁housing ▁and ▁feed ing ▁the ▁inter ne es ▁in ▁Pan ama . ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁the ▁US ▁State ▁Department ▁instruct ed ▁its ▁emb ass ies ▁in ▁Cuba , ▁Gu atem ala , ▁Nic ar agua , ▁Costa ▁Rica , ▁H ond uras , ▁El ▁Salvador , ▁the ▁Domin ican ▁Republic , ▁and ▁H ait i ▁to ▁obtain ▁an ▁agreement ▁to ▁send ▁“