As arrests of immigrants rise sharply in Hawaiʻi, the state’s congressional delegation has taken a stand against federal immigration enforcement practices, voicing their concerns in a letter addressed to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The letter, set to be sent on Tuesday, is signed by U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, along with Representative Jill Tokuda. They assert that federal immigration agents are instilling “fear and terrorizing communities” across the Aloha State.
In their correspondence, the lawmakers argue that aggressive enforcement methods have led to chaos and confusion rather than enhancing safety or security in the communities they represent.
However, one notable absence from the letter’s signatories is Rep. Ed Case, who stated that while he shares some concerns, the letter fails to encompass his constituents’ views on the broader immigration context.
“The bottom line is that I believe the letter did not place concerns with specific ICE enforcement in Hawai’i in the broader context of the necessity of enforcing our immigration laws including addressing illegal immigration, and of comprehensively reforming a clearly broken immigration system,” Case said in a statement following requests for an interview.
The impact of the letter remains uncertain as the political landscape remains polarized, particularly with the Trump administration pursuing its policy initiatives without hesitation.
Amidst this uncertain backdrop, South Kona coffee farmer Armando Rodriguez, who co-founded ALOHA United, a nonprofit organization supporting immigrants, welcomed the letter’s initiative.
“We have to start somewhere,” Rodriguez stated. “It’s affecting our economy and our lifestyle. Nobody lives in peace here anymore.”
The data reveals a dramatic increase in immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump took office, aligning with his campaign promises of a hardline approach to immigration.
According to records acquired through Freedom of Information Act lawsuits by the UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy, there was a 515% increase in administrative arrests by ICE agents in Hawaiʻi between January 24 and June 10.
During this timeframe, ICE agents made 117 administrative arrests, up from only 19 administrative arrests documented between August 8 and January 19, just before Trump’s second term began.
The numbers reflect a substantial shift in enforcement practices in Hawaiʻi, as documented data accounts for arrests made by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, which targets civil violations of immigration laws with the intention of deportation.
Prominent nationalities among those arrested include citizens of Honduras, Mexico, the Federated States of Micronesia, China, and Guatemala, and the data indicates that enforcement actions have largely taken place on the Big Island.
The Kona coffee growing region has notably been affected, with reports of enforcement operations intended under the guise of welfare checks on migrant children, leading to the apprehension of family members and caregivers.
The letter from Hawaiʻi’s lawmakers highlights that they have received numerous reports from constituents, expressing concerns about ICE’s focus on vulnerable populations, including “children, workers, and longtime members of our community,” without consideration for criminal histories.
A troubling case cited in the letter involved a Big Island first grader who was handed over to immigration authorities following the arrest of his father.
Another cited incident involved immigration agents detaining teachers from the Philippines at gunpoint, despite their legal immigration status while working on Maui.
In terms of data analysis, the current ICE enforcement under the Trump administration indicates a stark trend: individuals encountering ICE agents are twice as likely to have a criminal conviction compared to encounters during the Biden administration.
However, the nature of these criminal convictions remains unspecified in the data.
The letter’s requests made to Noem’s department include generating after-action reports detailing targeted individuals and detained persons, as well as monthly briefings and reinstating the previous policy that generally prohibited immigration enforcement in schools, churches, and medical facilities.
This policy was put in place during Barack Obama’s presidency, maintained by the first Trump administration, but rescinded under the current one.
According to George Flynn, communications director for Hirono, the senator has yet to receive any briefings from the Department of Homeland Security or ICE regarding ongoing enforcement activities.
“The total lack of transparency from this administration about ICE’s enforcement activity now necessitates such briefings,” Flynn concluded.
Sophia Jordán Wallace, a political science professor with a focus on immigration at the University of Washington, discussed the political dimensions of the letter, labeling it as a strategic, symbolic, and political move.
Advocates for immigrant rights have emphasized the importance of the letter in light of ongoing enforcement activities by the administration.
Tina Sablan, a community and policy advocate at The Legal Clinic, a nonprofit providing free legal services to immigrants, acknowledged the impact of the letter.
“I think that’s incredibly important,” Sablan remarked, highlighting the need to keep the immigration situation in the public eye.
The increase in arrests correlates with an ICE directive issued on February 18, calling for agents to revisit unprocessed cases, including those of individuals who have yet to file asylum applications but are not currently in detention.
Data from Hawaiʻi indicates that there has also been an uptick in activities linked to the
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