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Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Advocates explain rights regarding ICE agents
Advocates and educators gathered virtually Tuesday evening to share critical guidance with Hawaii families and public school staff on how to respond if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up at school. The event, organized by the ACLU of Hawaii, Hawaii State Teachers Association and Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, aimed to arm the community with practical knowledge in the wake of two recent immigration enforcement incidents that sparked fear and confusion. On Maui a group of international public school teachers from the Philippines, working under the U.S. Department of State's J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program, was traumatized when armed ICE agents executed a search warrant at a Kahului home earlier this month. Although no arrests were made, about a dozen agents arrived in the early morning with guns drawn, bringing teachers outside—some still partially dressed. The raid targeted a Mexican national who hadn't lived there for over a year, but the disruption deeply unsettled the teachers. A U.S. citizen teacher present during the raid, speaking anonymously through HSTA, described a chaotic scene with spouses and young children, including a crying 10-year-old. While the J-1 program allows these educators to legally work in the U.S. as part of a cultural exchange, the incident left many fearful and uncertain about their place in Hawaii's schools. Nathan Lee from the ACLU of Hawaii highlighted that in most cases ICE does not have jurisdiction in schools. He encouraged educators and families to stay calm and advised that if ICE does come to a school, people should be aware of their rights and avoid consenting to searches or answering questions without a lawyer present. Lee walked attendees through steps educators should take if they suspect immigration agents are present on or near campus. First, he said, do not engage directly with agents or try to assess the situation alone. School staff should immediately alert the principal or a designated administrator trained to handle the situation. Agents must be directed to that person—never handled informally. Lee emphasized that ICE must present a judicial warrant, not just an administrative warrant, in order to access school grounds or student records. Teachers and administrators are not required to release any information about a student, including immigration status, address or anything from their file, unless legally compelled by a judicial order. Lee also emphasized that fundamental constitutional protections apply to everyone regardless of immigration status. He noted that people in the United States have rights guaranteed by the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth amendments. Key rights discussed include the Fifth Amendment, which grants the right to remain silent—people can clearly state that they choose not to answer questions when approached by ICE agents. The Fourth Amendment protects against unlawful searches and arrests, generally requiring enforcement agents to have either consent or a judicial warrant signed by a judge specifying a particular name or address to enter private property. Additionally, due process rights ensure people are entitled to a hearing before deportation, except in certain limited expedited-removal cases. 'If you do not consent, the only way ICE can legally access a private location is through a judicial warrant, and a judicial warrant is very specific, ' Lee said. 'It requires the signature of a judge, a specific name of a person or a specific address where the search is to be conducted, and it needs the word 'warrant.' What we're seeing is, sometimes ICE enforcement officers will try to use an administrative warrant or a deportation order, which is not a judicial warrant and which does not allow access to private locations legally.' Liza Ryan Gill of HCIR stressed the importance of documentation during any enforcement activity. She urged witnesses and educators to record 'the exact date and time, the child and the location, whether it happened in a classroom or administrative (office ) or outside in the parking lot.' Gill also reminded educators to be aware of privacy laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and to avoid disclosing student information to strangers or unknown agents on campus. Parents facing potential enforcement action were advised to have clear contingency plans in place, including updated emergency contacts and possibly signing a power of attorney for trusted adults to care for their children in case of detention or deportation. HSTA has been advocating for clearer protocols to protect school staff and students. HSTA President Osa Tui Jr. shared key requests made to the state Department of Education : mandatory training for school administrators on immigration enforcement policies, explicit nonretaliation protections for staff who refuse to cooperate with ICE, and standardized communication guidance to safeguard student privacy. U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, who attended the event, said she has been contacted by frightened parents, students and community members about their futures in Hawaii. 'We're all one degree of separation from knowing somebody who is right now living in fear, worried that they could be picked up off the streets or they could be deported, even if they have no grounds to, ' Tokuda said. '(There are ) too many looking over their shoulder and fearing for their lives right now.' Tuesday's gathering is the first in a series of public education events planned for the summer. The ACLU and its partners will offer 'Know Your Rights ' workshops across the state. Training materials are available in multiple languages, and teachers are encouraged to request resources through their union or directly through the ACLU.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
ICE arrests 50 in raids across 3 Hawaiian islands
Federal agents arrested 50 people this week on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island for violating immigration laws due to convictions for crimes including murder, domestic violence and drug possession. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii worked with federal law enforcement partners to target 'those with immigration violations, ' according to a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The through Thursday and did not involve county police departments or state law enforcement agencies. Federal officials would not provide the names of those arrested or disclose a breakdown of the 50 arrests by island. ICE agents in Hawaii led the operation with support from ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation ; Drug Enforcement Administration ; U.S. Marshals Service ; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ; and U.S. Coast Guard. Officials said that among those arrested was a Vietnamese national convicted of second-degree murder and a Mexican national convicted of drunken driving in 2020 and 2015 and driving without a license in 2011 and 2020. Information on where their crimes occurred was not immediately released Thursday. Additional criminal convictions of those 'arrested or targeted ' include do mestic violence, car theft, murder, theft, probation violations, drug possession and gun crimes, according to ICE officials. The states where the criminal convictions occurred and details of the crimes were not released Thursday. 'By leveraging the assets of federal partnerships with intelligence-driven investigations, we continue to fulfill our mission to disrupt and dismantle criminal enterprises across the Pacific, ' said Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas in a statement to the Star-Advertiser. 'We, and our partners, are committed to safer neighborhoods, stronger communities, holding bad actors accountable for their actions, and securing our borders.' Those arrested will remain in ICE custody pending deportation from the U.S. 'ICE remains committed to working with its federal partners to combat crime and protect communities from violent criminal activity, ' Cabral-DeArmas said. One raid that didn't result in arrests left 10 to 12 teachers on Maui traumatized after armed ICE agents executed a search warrant at a Kahului home looking for a Mexican national who had not lived at the multifamily dwelling in more than a year. The teachers, all but one of whom are from the Philippines and employed through the U.S. Department of State's J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program, were brought out of the home by about a dozen ICE agents dressed in black with guns drawn at about 6 :15 a.m. Tuesday. The J-1 program allows qualified educators from other countries to work in the U.S. legally as part of a cultural and educational exchange. A Maui teacher who is a U.S. citizen was with the teachers at the time of the raid and agreed to speak to the media Thursday only if she remained anonymous, according to the Hawai 'i State Teachers Association. She described a chaotic scene where some of the teachers were unable to get dressed before they were taken outside and surrounded by the armed ICE agents. Some of the teachers stood outside with their spouses and young children, the Maui teacher said. One woman still had wet hair, and another's 10-year-old daughter openly sobbed. 'The first thing that I said … was that I was a U.S. citizen and that we are all teachers here. … Can we show you some identification and proof that we are here legally ?' she said. 'They wouldn't allow us to do so. I did not realize the reality. They were pounding on my window and door … with guns, and I am still lying there in my bed in my pajamas. I asked them for identification, and they rushed past me pointing guns at the other teachers.' The agents told the teachers to write down their names in order to radio them to other agents who could check their backgrounds and clear them. The Maui teacher said that when she showed an ICE agent her U.S. passport, the agent 'was taken aback and looked shocked and apologized to me several times.' ICE officials reported Wednesday that the occupants of the Kahului residence were 'cooperative ' and agents were able to conduct a search without interference. The occupants were 'briefly detained and interviewed ' before agents left without making any arrests. HSTA President Osa Tui Jr. said in a statement Wednesday that the union is 'very disturbed and concerned about how these Maui teachers were treated.' HSTA is not considering a lawsuit against ICE or any of the agencies that participated in the raid. On Thursday, Tui offered additional comment, saying, 'We do not appreciate how this situation was handled and expect more from these federal agencies.' Allies in Resistance, a newly formed group whose says it stands against 'all attempts to degrade and damage our civil society, our environment, and our people, ' is gathering information about ICE raids in Hawaii to share on its social media feeds. The group shared a post Wednesday from El Pueblo en Accion Maui (The People in Action Maui ) that documented immigration law enforcement activity by federal law enforcement Monday and Tuesday on Maui at Honokowai Plantation, Kahele Apartments, ABC Stores, Panda Express and Walgreens. They also documented immigration law enforcement activity in Lahaina, Makawao, Paia, Kihei, Kahului and Wailuku. The Maui group is providing resources to family members and others trying to track detainees, who include minor children.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
50 arrested in ICE raids on 3 islands
Federal agents arrested 50 people this week on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island for violating immigration laws due to convictions for crimes including murder, domestic violence and drug possession. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii worked with federal law enforcement partners to target 'those with immigration violations, ' according to a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The through Thursday and did not involve county police departments or state law enforcement agencies. Federal officials would not provide the names of those arrested or disclose a breakdown of the 50 arrests by island. ICE agents in Hawaii led the operation with support from ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation ; Drug Enforcement Administration ; U.S. Marshals Service ; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ; and U.S. Coast Guard. Officials said that among those arrested was a Vietnamese national convicted of second-degree murder and a Mexican national convicted of drunken driving in 2020 and 2015 and driving without a license in 2011 and 2020. Information on where their crimes occurred was not immediately released Thursday. Additional criminal convictions of those 'arrested or targeted ' include do mestic violence, car theft, murder, theft, probation violations, drug possession and gun crimes, according to ICE officials. The states where the criminal convictions occurred and details of the crimes were not released Thursday. 'By leveraging the assets of federal partnerships with intelligence-driven investigations, we continue to fulfill our mission to disrupt and dismantle criminal enterprises across the Pacific, ' said Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas in a statement to the Star-Advertiser. 'We, and our partners, are committed to safer neighborhoods, stronger communities, holding bad actors accountable for their actions, and securing our borders.' Those arrested will remain in ICE custody pending deportation from the U.S. 'ICE remains committed to working with its federal partners to combat crime and protect communities from violent criminal activity, ' Cabral-DeArmas said. One raid that didn't result in arrests left 10 to 12 teachers on Maui traumatized after armed ICE agents executed a search warrant at a Kahului home looking for a Mexican national who had not lived at the multifamily dwelling in more than a year. The teachers, all but one of whom are from the Philippines and employed through the U.S. Department of State's J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program, were brought out of the home by about a dozen ICE agents dressed in black with guns drawn at about 6 :15 a.m. Tuesday. The J-1 program allows qualified educators from other countries to work in the U.S. legally as part of a cultural and educational exchange. A Maui teacher who is a U.S. citizen was with the teachers at the time of the raid and agreed to speak to the media Thursday only if she remained anonymous, according to the Hawai 'i State Teachers Association. She described a chaotic scene where some of the teachers were unable to get dressed before they were taken outside and surrounded by the armed ICE agents. Some of the teachers stood outside with their spouses and young children, the Maui teacher said. One woman still had wet hair, and another's 10-year-old daughter openly sobbed. 'The first thing that I said … was that I was a U.S. citizen and that we are all teachers here. … Can we show you some identification and proof that we are here legally ?' she said. 'They wouldn't allow us to do so. I did not realize the reality. They were pounding on my window and door … with guns, and I am still lying there in my bed in my pajamas. I asked them for identification, and they rushed past me pointing guns at the other teachers.' The agents told the teachers to write down their names in order to radio them to other agents who could check their backgrounds and clear them. The Maui teacher said that when she showed an ICE agent her U.S. passport, the agent 'was taken aback and looked shocked and apologized to me several times.' ICE officials reported Wednesday that the occupants of the Kahului residence were 'cooperative ' and agents were able to conduct a search without interference. The occupants were 'briefly detained and interviewed ' before agents left without making any arrests. HSTA President Osa Tui Jr. said in a statement Wednesday that the union is 'very disturbed and concerned about how these Maui teachers were treated.' HSTA is not considering a lawsuit against ICE or any of the agencies that participated in the raid. On Thursday, Tui offered additional comment, saying, 'We do not appreciate how this situation was handled and expect more from these federal agencies.' Allies in Resistance, a newly formed group whose says it stands against 'all attempts to degrade and damage our civil society, our environment, and our people, ' is gathering information about ICE raids in Hawaii to share on its social media feeds. The group shared a post Wednesday from El Pueblo en Accion Maui (The People in Action Maui ) that documented immigration law enforcement activity by federal law enforcement Monday and Tuesday on Maui at Honokowai Plantation, Kahele Apartments, ABC Stores, Panda Express and Walgreens. They also documented immigration law enforcement activity in Lahaina, Makawao, Paia, Kihei, Kahului and Wailuku. The Maui group is providing resources to family members and others trying to track detainees, who include minor children.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Outrageous:' Hawaii Sen. Schatz on Maui ICE investigation
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaii Department of Education and Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz are reaching out to several teachers, who were reportedly investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. New UH Manoa dashboard tracks Hawaii's weather in real time According to HIDOE, there was an incident involving agents at a private residence, housing several international teachers on Maui. Officials said the teachers are employed through the U.S. Department of State's J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program, which allows educators from other countries to work here legally. HIDOE added that the teachers are safe and accounted for, as the situation was resolved on-site with no arrests made. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You In a statement, Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz called the incident 'outrageous' and 'a shameful abuse of power.' We are a nation of laws, but the broad ICE raids this week are clearly designed just to instill fear. Our teachers, our visitors, and our neighbors deserve dignity and safety, not fear of seemingly arbitrary harassment. Sen. Brian Schatz (D) Hawaii Officials said Sen. Schatz and HIDOE are in contact with one another to offer assistance to teachers impacted by the raid. Check out more news from around Hawaii KHON2 has reached out to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment and is waiting to hear back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
