Hawaii Advocates Push for Immigrant Justice Legislation

The Legal Clinic partners with ACLU and immigrant rights groups to protect due process and civil rights for all, including immigrants

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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The Legal Clinic (TLC) has joined a high-profile campaign with the ACLU of Hawaii and the Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights to advocate for 'immigrant justice' legislation. The bills aim to ensure due process and civil rights protections for all, including immigrants, by restricting federal agents from entering sensitive locations without a warrant, ensuring fair visa certification standards, and requiring notification of rights for those in state or local custody before contact with ICE.

Why it matters

Immigrant advocates in Hawaii are responding to a sharp increase in ICE arrests and detentions, with 227% more Hawaii residents arrested in 2025 compared to 2024. Many of those targeted have no criminal record, raising concerns about due process and civil rights violations. TLC is working to expand legal services and language access to help immigrants navigate the complex immigration system.

The details

The immigrant justice legislation backed by TLC and partners aims to: ensure federal agents don't enter sensitive locations like schools and hospitals without a warrant; set fair and consistent standards for visa certifications so immigrant survivors can safely report crimes; restrict unnecessary masking and require clear identification of officials; exclude local police from federal immigration enforcement; and require notification of rights, in a language understood, before contact with ICE. TLC is also recruiting more interpreters, training community members as court observers, and expanding the pool of qualified immigration legal service providers.

  • Between January and October 2025, ICE arrests in Hawaii more than tripled from 62 to 203 - a 227% increase.
  • The daily average of ICE detentions in Hawaii increased from 15 in December 2024 to 81 by November 2025.

The players

The Legal Clinic

A nonprofit organization providing legal services and advocacy for immigrants in Hawaii.

ACLU of Hawaii

The Hawaii chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, partnering on the immigrant justice campaign.

Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights

A coalition of community groups advocating for immigrant rights in Hawaii.

Bettina Mok

The executive director of The Legal Clinic.

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What they’re saying

“Bills backed by TLC and our partners in the Campaign for Immigrant Justice aim to ensure due process and civil rights protections for all, including immigrants. Sadly, some protections we once took for granted are under attack today.”

— Bettina Mok, Executive Director, The Legal Clinic (staradvertiser.com)

“We're doing our best to adapt our services: recruiting more interpreters and pro bono attorneys to file and handle federal court petitions, and training community members to serve as observers for Immigration Court, so that we can reach out to those appearing without legal representation.”

— Bettina Mok, Executive Director, The Legal Clinic (staradvertiser.com)

What’s next

The Legal Clinic plans to continue prioritizing client inquiries and cases, and aims to increase its capacity for legal services across the state, advocating for fairness and due process on behalf of Hawaii's more than 255,000 foreign-born residents and their families.

The takeaway

This campaign highlights the critical need to protect due process and civil rights for all, including immigrants, as ICE arrests and detentions have sharply increased in Hawaii. Immigrant advocates are working to expand legal services, language access, and community engagement to ensure fairness and uphold the principles of American democracy.