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From:Abby Paterson <br />To:Correa, Charisse <br />Subject:Written Testimony for Friday 7/18/25 <br />Date:Wednesday, July 16, 2025 2:46:55 PM <br />Aloha Chair and Commissioners Tavares, Botelho, Yamada, Enriques, Buckman, <br />Robinson, Quartataro, Bertsch, and Lacerte, <br />I am writing to express my deep concern about the collaboration between Hawaii County <br />Police and ICE. Our community deserves safety, transparency, and trust, not fear and <br />intimidation. <br />Under the Trump Administration, ICE and CBP were ordered to arrest 3,000 people a day, <br />without regard to immigration or criminal status. Here in Kona, we’ve seen child abductions in <br />schools, home raids, and detentions where no process or identification was provided. Innocent <br />children and parents have been terrorized, and our community traumatized. <br />We call on our Mayor, incoming Police Chief, and County Council to: <br />Terminate the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Homeland Security <br />Investigations (HSI). <br />Require all HPD officers to remainin uniform, unmasked, and clearly identifiedat <br />all times, regardless of collaboration with ICE. <br />Protect our schools and families from illegal raids and threats. <br />ICE has warned school principals that helping children or withholding information will make <br />them “criminals.” This mirrors language and tactics used during the Holocaust and Japanese <br />American internment—acts of power, fear, and control that allowed governments to strip <br />rights, revoke citizenship, and unlawfully detain even U.S. citizens. <br />This collaboration between local police and federal agencies has already enabledterror in our <br />Kona communities. <br />Please listen to our voices and act now to keep Hawaii Island safe for everyone. <br />The incoming police chief must understandthatwe want to terminate the Memorandum of <br />Understanding (MOU) with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). <br />Mahalo, <br />Abby Paterson <br />Kalaoa <br /> <br />