Question:

The Ho`okipa bill introduced to the Hawai`i State Legislature in 2018 would have provided a safe place for undocumented immigrants. Why should the State do that?

Background:

The Ho`okipa bill introduced in 2018 does not provide any additional protections to undocumented immigrants than it does to citizens.

Here is its description:

Prohibits state law enforcement agencies from complying with federal immigration detainers or honoring requests for non-public information unless specifically required to do so by a warrant signed by a judge or federal, state, or local law.

There is no law requiring the State or its counties to assist the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), and the Ho`okipa bill merely limits Hawaii’s local law enforcement agencies from assisting ICE, except as required by law.

Some state and local governments across the nation do provide assistance to ICE, while more than 500 other state and local governments refuse to do so because they believe assisting ICE will disrupt their communities.

Answer:

The Ho`okipa bill introduced to the Hawai`i State Legislature in 2018 does not provide a safe place for undocumented immigrants. It simply directs local law enforcement agents to assist the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) only as required by law.