The writer Lion Feuchtwanger had already lost his German citizenship in 1933 and fulfilled all requirements to be a US citizen when he was classified as an “enemy alien” in the aftermath of the US entry into the Second World War following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On 1 July 1941, the US government issued new restrictions for European refugees. They feared that the Hitler-refugees could spy for Germany. The “enemy aliens” were subjected to a curfew lasting from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. They were no longer able to travel without permission and were required to register with the police.

In the letter, Feuchtwanger vehemently opposed the term “enemy alien”. He regarded it as an outrage for him to be suspected of cooperating with a country whose persecution he only just barely escaped. The sentiment was also shared by others, such as the writer Bertolt Brecht and the composer Hanns Eisler, who were also classified as “enemy aliens”. From the reporting in major American newspapers at the time of Feuchtwanger's arrival in the US, the story of his harrowing escape was widely known. In the letter, Feuchtwanger emphasizes that his novels had been published in great quantities and that they had been characterised by leading newspapers as an effective tool against fascism. Nevertheless, the writer was obliged to register as an “enemy alien”.