BOISE - President George W. Bush has signed a bill that expands and refurbishes the Minidoka Internment National Monument where thousands of Japanese Americans were housed near Jerome during World War II.

The legislation, sponsored by Idaho Republican Senator Mike Crapo clears the way for private groups to raise money for the expansion.

The Minidoka site was designated as a national monument in January 2001.

Minidoka was the largest of 10 detention camps around the US, where more than 120,000 Japanese-Americans were interned during the Second World War.