While at the detention center, Chinese immigrants went through harsh interrogations and demeaning physical exams, often, living in deplorable conditions. Families would be separated and forced to sleep it cramped communal quarters.
Men and women, including husbands and wives, were separated and not allowed to see or communicate with each other again until they were admitted to the country. Minor children under age twelve or so were assigned to the care of their mothers.
In July 1946, after serving the military for a variety of purposes, the Army declared Angel Island surplus and eventually transferred ownership to the State of California for park, recreational, and historical purposes.