Latest news with #DanielK.InouyeInternationalAirport
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Australian woman says she was deported after visiting her U.S. Army officer husband at Hawaii base
An Australian woman who was deported from the U.S. after visiting her American husband stationed in Hawaii says she was detained in prison overnight alongside murderers before getting sent home. Nicolle Saroukos, 25, of Sydney, says she was held in federal prison overnight after trying to enter the country with her mother so the two could visit her husband, Matt, a U.S. Army lieutenant stationed on Oahu, Hawaii News Now reported. Saroukos, who has visited three times since getting married last December, said things quickly turned chaotic after border officials at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport flagged her for extra screening. The officer checking passports 'went from completely composed to just yelling at the top of his lungs, telling my mother to go stand at the back of the line and to excuse my language, 'shut up,'' Saroukos recalled. 'So I automatically started crying because that was my first response,' she said. After Saroukos and her mother were taken to a holding room where their bags and phones were searched, she was bombarded with questions, including about her former work as a police officer and whether her tattoos were gang-related to her marriage to an American. 'When I did say that I was married to somebody in the U.S. Army, the officers laughed at me. They thought it was quite comical. I don't know whether they thought I was telling the truth or not,' she said. Officers also allegedly told Saroukos, who was only planning on staying for a three-week visit, that she had too many clothes in her suitcase. 'So because of that, they assumed I was going to overstay my visa,' she said. Saroukos was held for more screening, including fingerprints and a DNA swab, while her mother was allowed to go. She was then denied entry to the U.S. and told she would be deported back to Australia after spending the night in prison, she said. '[The officer] said 'so basically what is going to happen is we're going to send you to a prison overnight where you will stay,'' she said. 'Not detention center, he said prison, and I automatically just, I started crying again.' 'Because when you think prison, you think, big time criminals. I don't know who I'm being housed with,' she said. According to Saroukos, border officials told her they would let her husband know she was being deported – but they never did. She was then put through a body cavity search before being paraded through the airport in handcuffs and taken to the Federal Detection Center. 'They stated, 'No, you're not under arrest. You haven't done anything wrong, and you'll be facing no criminal charges.' So I was very confused as to why this was all happening,' she said. After arriving at the prison, Saroukos was strip-searched and detained with women who had been convicted of murder and drug offenses, according to the report. She shared a cell with a woman from Fiji who was also denied entry and awaiting deportation. She was also not allowed to make a phone call to her husband or mother to let them know what happened. Saroukos said that the following morning, she was brought back to the airport and received a call from the Australian Consulate General in Hawaii, who had been contacted by her mother when they were separated and helped get the two on the same returning flight home. Eventually, she was able to connect with her husband over the phone. 'I think we were both just very emotional. We hadn't spoken to each other in 24 hours. He didn't know where I was or whether I was safe,' she said. 'It's not only myself, it's my mother and my husband that also had to endure that pain, my husband being a current serving member, to serve his country and to be treated in that way I find very disgusting,' she said. Saroukos' husband is now on leave with her in Sydney after waiting hours for her at the airport and receiving no answers. She said the horrifying experience 'made it physically impossible for me to even ever enter the United States ever again.' 'I felt like my world came crashing down. I felt like my marriage was over when they told me that,' she added. 'That's something that they've taken away from me as well.' A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told Hawaii News Now that entry decisions are complex and taken very seriously, with many factors considered in each decision.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
United Airlines flight from Hawaii to LAX diverted after 'potential security concern' found in bathroom
A United Airlines flight headed to Los Angeles from Hawaii was diverted Tuesday after a "potential security concern" was found in the plane bathroom, according to the airline. United Airlines 1169 departed from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu around 9:40 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. But about an hour and a half after taking off, the plane turned back to the Honolulu airport, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware. Police searched the Boeing 777 plane, which had about 339 passengers and 10 crewmembers, after the aircraft landed, according to an airline spokesperson. The representative declined to say what, if anything, was discovered on the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration didn't respond to a request for comment. A traveler told Hawaii News Now that they waited about four hours on the tarmac after the plane returned to Hawaii while law enforcement and dogs screened each passenger. "Later I found out through the airport security manager that someone had written on the bathroom mirror that there was a bomb on the plane,' passenger Kouhei Massey told the outlet. A United Airlines spokesperson told The Times that the airline is "rebooking customers on another flight to Los Angeles that departs later this evening." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
22-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
United Airlines flight from Hawaii to LAX diverted after ‘potential security concern' found in bathroom
A United Airlines flight headed to Los Angeles from Hawaii was diverted Tuesday after a 'potential security concern' was found in the plane bathroom, according to the airline. United Airlines 1169 departed from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu around 9:40 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. But about an hour and a half after taking off, the plane turned back to the Honolulu airport, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware. Police searched the Boeing 777 plane, which had about 339 passengers and 10 crewmembers, after the aircraft landed, according to an airline spokesperson. The representative declined to say what, if anything, was discovered on the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration didn't respond to a request for comment. A traveler told Hawaii News Now that they waited about four hours on the tarmac after the plane returned to Hawaii while law enforcement and dogs screened each passenger. 'Later I found out through the airport security manager that someone had written on the bathroom mirror that there was a bomb on the plane,' passenger Kouhei Massey told the outlet. A United Airlines spokesperson told The Times that the airline is 'rebooking customers on another flight to Los Angeles that departs later this evening.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Honolulu-L.A. United flight turns back after bomb threat in lavatory
A United Airlines flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles returned to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport early this morning after a bomb threat was found written on a bathroom mirror. The Boeing 777 passenger jet was carrying 339 passengers and 10 crew members at the time of the incident. 'United Flight 1169 from Honolulu to Los Angeles returned safely to Honolulu after a potential security concern was found written on a lavatory mirror. Law enforcement met the aircraft, and a security sweep was conducted, ' read a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser from the air carrier. 'We are rebooking customers on another flight to Los Angeles that departs later this evening.' Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation responded when the plane returned to Honolulu. 'Agents did respond to a security incident at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. While there is no threat to public safety, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities to law enforcement, ' read a statement to the Star-Advertiser from the FBI's Honolulu Field Office. 'As this is an ongoing matter, we are not able to provide further details.' It is the second threat to waylay an airliner moving passengers between Honolulu and southern California in the last two days. On Tuesday, a from San Diego bound for Honolulu was stopped right before takeoff after a passenger allegedly threatened to bomb the aircraft. During pushback from the gate, a passenger was overheard making a threat to blow up the flight. See more : 6 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
The newest kauhale, Alana Ola Pono, moves 11 people into long-term homes
Randall Wallace, 67, was apartment hunting last week for a permanent home of his own following years on the street and after only two months living in the new Iwilei homeless kauhale community, where he's gained an appreciation for how good a stable life can be. Wallace hasn't had a home in his name since he and his wife divorced in 1985 and he gave her full ownership of the house for the benefit of their three children. Then stints in prison for identity theft and fraud and an addiction to smoking 'ice ' left him bouncing around Oahu, often living in parks where he was constantly robbed of his belongings, including a series of cellphones and ID. Now Wallace hopes to become the 12th resident of the Alana Ola Pono kauhale community to move into a permanent home of his own since it welcomed the first of 65 residents in November into 45 100-square-foot 'tiny homes.' 'Being here is a blessing, ' Wallace said. 'Every day's now a blessing.' The Alana Ola Pono kauhale represents the newest of 21 that have gone up around the state, with more planned in Waimanalo and Kapolei, on Middle Street and off of Nimitz Highway by Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Most kauhale are intended as semipermanent housing, but the residents of the Alana Ola Pono kauhale are expected to stay only three to six months. Whoever remains has to be out in five years or so to make room for new, affordable workforce housing to be built around the future Liliha Civic Center rail station. Last week, 43 individuals and two couples were living at Alana Ola Pono, and 25 were 65 years old and older, like Marvin Boyd, 68, who has terminal prostate cancer but a gregarious, laugh-filled outlook. After being homeless on Oahu for five years, the last three months at Alana Ola Pono 'has been a real plus, ' Boyd said. 'Life has been good to me. On the streets it was crazy. I just gotta keep on doing better.' Each of the residents has to pay 30 % of their income in monthly rent—often from Social Security or disability payments—but no more than $450 a month. Jun Yang, Hawaii's homeless coordinator, spent Thursday morning cooking cheesy breakfast tacos with guacamole on the side for some of the kauhale residents and staff out of one of two communal kitchens where residents are encouraged to cook for themselves. The kauhale concept, Yang said, helps homeless people get their lives straightened out, receive case management for their issues, which often include medical needs, and hopefully become prepared to move into permanent homes like Wallace and the 11 other Alana Ola Pono residents before him. 'This is a great place for people to gather themselves and move on, ' Yang said. The Institute for Human Services, which operates its men's shelter down the street, runs Ala Ola Pono for the state. It also plans on-site job training and encourages residents to clean up and take care of the grounds while developing a sense of community. The kauhale was built on top of an old plantation-era railroad path that was later used as a gas station. So 862 tons of contaminated soil, rock and debris had to be dug up and decontaminated, said Kimo Carvalho, executive director of HomeAid Hawaii, the nonprofit hui of island construction companies that build kauhale for the state at a discount by donating material and expertise. Workers are still paid their full union wages and benefits while their companies absorb their expenses to further reduce the cost to the state. Ala Ola Pono represents what Carvalho calls a 'remnant parcel ' that's hard to sell on the open market but sometimes ends up as a kauhale site. Some two-thirds of the $5.2 million development costs were spent on cleaning it up and installing sewer, water and electrical infrastructure. Emergency proclamations issued by Gov. Josh Green, who opened Hawaii's first kauhale in Kalaeloa as lieutenant governor, also lower costs by exempting kauhale from typical building restrictions, Carvalho said. Although it began moving in the first residents on Nov. 25, Alana Ola Pono finally got connected to the electrical grid only last week after spending $5, 000 to $6, 000 every month to buy diesel fuel and rent a generator powerful enough to provide electricity to all 45 tiny homes, communal kitchens, communal bathrooms and laundry. By connecting to the grid, the kauhale will now be able to save $3, 000 to $4, 000 a month, Carvalho said. IHS Executive Director Connie Mitchell said in a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 'Having HomeAid Hawai 'i as our developer made all the difference at Alana Ola Pono. They understand that building homes for people experiencing homelessness requires both construction skill and compassion. The numbers tell the story of this success—65 total residents served since opening, with 11 already successfully transitioning to more permanent housing. … This partnership embodies Governor Green's vision for communities that help people get back on their feet with dignity and real pathways to independence.' The 1.2-acre kauhale footprint sits in a discreet location off of Iwilei Street and can be difficult to see from the road. It's now the 11th homeless operation in an ever-growing Iwilei complex providing various programs for homeless people with different medical, mental health and physical health needs, many of them serious and life-threatening. Wallace has a slipped disc that causes him pain and forces him to rely on a walker, along with diabetes that requires insulin, high blood pressure and stomach ulcers. Since checking out of a clean-and-sober home on Date Street, Wallace no longer smokes ice and said he now takes better care of himself and keeps up with his doctor's appointments with the help of his case manager. 'Hundred percent I go to my doctor now, ' he said. 'Before, I stay smoke my ice and nevah care.' Michael Wayne Kalani Riveira, 67, grew up without a father in Mayor Wright public housing and only went to school for the free breakfast and lunch, he said, rubbing his belly. Riveira's mother died when he was 12, and his life spiraled even more. 'No more guidance, ' he said, looking away. Riveira got addicted to 'crack and vodka, ' 'couldn't hold a job ' and became homeless in Waikiki until he was swept with hundreds of others and slept in other parts of Oahu until an IHS outreach worker brought him to Ala Ola Pono in January. Riveira needs a walker because he had his right knee replaced and had to have all of the toes on his left foot amputated. Riveira also has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, and just got over a bout with pneumonia. Nevertheless, now that he has a tiny home, he can lock in a community that encourages interaction and learning new skills like financial literacy, Riveira said, 'Now I have hope. I love this place. It gives me hope to keep living. Now I want to find my own place.' 'I'm glad there's places like this for people like us.' The state Legislature just provided another $88.2 million for more kauhale. Yang said each one will be built following input from their communities. For critics and skeptics, Yang said they should visit kauhale like Alana Ola Pono and see for themselves. 'This is a great place, ' he said. 'Check it out.'
