HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0125.042 2024-2026/ COWC,
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Testimony in OPPOSITION to Resolution 74-25: ICE VOU
Aloha Council Members, Mayor, and Community Leaders,
My name is Graciela Del Rio, and I am writing in strong opposition to Resolution 74-25
because allowing law enforcement to collaborate with ICE will deepen trauma, fuel fear,
and further oppress our community.
ICE's presence in Hawaii has already resulted in terrorizing raids, racial profiling, and
family separations. Our community members should be able to look to police officers for
protection —not as enforcers of a system that targets, isolates, and dehumanizes
families. If local law enforcement collaborates with ICE, whether directly or indirectly,
they will be seen as complicit in these violent attacks.
I have witnessed the devastation firsthand. During a recent ICE raid, I heard the cries of
families and keiki as they were forced from their homes in the pouring rain. Keiki
trembled, sobbed and begged for help as armed agents stormed in. They listened to the
deafening bangs of their doors being broken down, only to be torn from their loved
ones. Minors were even held by HSI in the police department. Families left behind are
left wondering where loved ones are and if they are even together.
The trauma does not end when the raids are over. It lingers in empty homes and vacant
desks at school. Keiki grieve for their missing friends, teachers wonder if their students
are safe, and entire neighborhoods mourn the sudden disappearances of families they
once saw every day. Since ICE arrived on the island, families have been forced to sleep
in their vehicles, terrified to return home in case ICE comes back to terrorize them.
Parents are now too afraid to let their keiki wait at the bus stop because ICE has shown
it has no mercy —even for keiki.
If local law enforcement chooses to collaborate with ICE, these horrors will become the
norm. History has shown us the devastating consequences of complicity. To stand with
ICE is to stand with trauma, oppression, and injustice. The damage will be
irreversible —trust in law enforcement will be shattered, families will be torn apart, and
the next generation will carry the weight of this suffering for the rest of their lives. The
community will perceive collaboration between police and ICE as state -sanctioned
violence.
We cannot allow this to continue. When we look back on moments of injustice, we ask:
Why didn't more people intervene? Why didn't leaders do the right thing? Today, you
have the power to stand on the right side of history. Our keiki are watching. They are
counting on your courage, leadership, and sense of justice. Please do the right
thing —oppose Resolution 74-25 and ensure that our local police do not participate in
these inhumane practices.
Mahalo for your time and your commitment to protecting our community.
Sincerely,
Graciela Del Rio
A.L.O.H.A. Latinos