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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0125.018 2024-2026P / GOEAG R.es, 7q-2!5 C04H,1'25 From: Maki Morinoue Sent: Monday, March 17, 2025 11:30 AM - To: Council Testimony Cc: Galimba, Michelle M.; Inaba, Holeka; Kagiwada, Jennifer; Kanealii-Kleinfeld�r, Matt; Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Kimball, Heather, Villegas, Rebecca; Hustace, James; brjishi, Dennis Subject: Resolution 74-25 HPD Police Aloha Chair and Committee Members, There are many potential concerns in this resolution, and while what the Hawaii Police Department poses what they are currently doing is all for the benefit of community security it is critical to have more safeguards in place, especially if the federal government continues to expand their enforcement actions as they have. Also not enough residents are even aware of this resolution. I just found out about it early this morning. I firmly ask to postpone, explain, and collaborate with our community on the intent and details of Resolution 74- 25, which would authorize the Mayor to enter into agreements with federal immigration enforcement agencies. While resolutions themselves are not legally binding, supporting this resolution creates momentum toward harmful immigration enforcement policies that would damage our community. Because the recent South Kona ICE raids directly impacted my community, we are already hearing about the separation of families and deep concerns about the process of going into our public schools to capture kids and deport them. I need more time for credible research and understanding of implications and execution of real impact on our communities. Recent ICE Activity in Hawai'i On March 6th, Homeland Security conducted a raid in West Hawai'i, resulting in four people being taken for deportation. According to Aloha Latinos, this follows five previous raids. The threat is real and present for our community members. Immigrants are Vital to Hawai'i • Nearly 1 in 5 Hawai'i residents (18%) is an immigrant, according to the American Immigration Council (2023)' • Immigrant -led households in Hawai'i contribute approximately $530 million in state and local taxes annually (New American Economy, 2021)2 • Immigrants in Hawai'i have $3.3 billion in spending power (American Immigration Council, 2023)' • 21.3% of Hawai'i's self-employed business owners are immigrants (New American Economy, 2021)2 • In HawaiTs tourism industry, 20% of workers are immigrants (Hawai'i Budget & Policy Center, 2022)3 Dangers of ICE Collaboration Comno. N Ref. To: 'KE Research on similar MOUs in other states reveals disturbing patterns: Ref. Date —MAR • Civil Rights Violations: A 2019 ACLU study found that 287(g) agreements led to documented cases of racial profiling in 8 out of 10 jurisdictions analyzed • Erosion of Trust: According to a 2020 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, when local police act as immigration enforcers, crime reporting decreases by 43% in Latino communities5 • Detention Abuses: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (2022) documented substandard conditions in 74% of ICE detention facilities inspected' • Fiscal Impact: A 2019 study by the Police Executive Research Forum found that local police departments spend an average of 380 unpaid hours per month on immigration enforcement activities' • Family Separation: The Center for American Progress reports that between 2018-2022, approximately 220,000 U.S. citizen children had a parent deported' Concerns About Proposed MOUs The agreements lack critical safeguards: • No adequate training provisions for police in immigration law • No clear limitations on police participation in immigration enforcement • Homeland Security Investigations would have unilateral authority over numerous aspects of operations • Police officers would be subject to HSI directives when using enforcement authority • Changes could be made to the agreements without Council approval • The critical Form 73-001 referenced in the MOU appears to be missing from public review Community Impact Enabling these agreements would cause: • Decreased reporting of crimes by victims and witnesses • Increased fear and isolation in immigrant communities • Reduced access to essential services like healthcare and education • Economic harm to businesses dependent on immigrant labor and consumers I urge you to reject Resolution 74-25 and instead work toward policies that protect all residents of Hawai'i County, regardless of immigration status. Though this resolution is not legally binding, it sends a powerful message about our values as a community. Mahalo for your consideration, Maki Morinoue Holualoa, HI 'American Immigration Council. (2023). Immigrants in Hawaii. https://www.americanimmi.grationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-hawaii 2New American Economy. (2021). New Americans in Hawaii. https://www.newamericaneconomy.orq/locations/hawaii/ 3Hawai'i Budget & Policy Center. (2022). Immigrant Workers in Hawaii's Economy. °ACLU. (2019). The Cost of 287(g) Agreements to Local Communities. 5Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (2020). The Effects of Local Immigration Enforcement on Crime Reporting. 'U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. (2022). Immigration Detention in the United States .'Police Executive Research Forum. (2019). The Impact of Immigration Enforcement on Local Policing.'Center for American Progress. (2022). Family Separation: By the Numbers.