HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0125.047 2024-2026i
Re3.7y-25
COMM.1Z
From: Elizabeth Hansen
Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2025 7:52 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony in Strong Opposition to Resolution 74-25
Testimony in Strong Opposition to Resolution 74-25
Aloha,
I am writing in strong opposition to Resolution 74-25, which would authorize the Hawaii County
Mayor to enter into agreements embedding federal Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
agents within the Hawaii Police Department (HPD) and deputizing local officers as federal
customs agents.
First and foremost, there is no legitimate need for this agreement. HSI, as a division of ICE, already
has full federal authority to operate in Hawaii without local assistance. Embedding their agents
within HPD and cross -designating our officers only serves to blur the line between local policing
and federal immigration enforcement. This raises serious concerns about transparency,
accountability, and community trust —especially in immigrant communities who are already
vulnerable to targeted raids and surveillance.
Secondly, HPD is already critically understaffed. By our own County's admission, officers are
stretched thin responding to basic calls for service. Adding federal entanglements to their
workload is not only unnecessary, it's irresponsible. It diverts time and energy away from local
safety priorities and places additional strain on an already overburdened department.
But beyond the logistical and ethical concerns lies a deeper truth: this is still the illegally annexed
and occupied Hawaiian Kingdom. If the County of Hawaii is so eager to cooperate with federal
agents, perhaps it should start by helping remove those agents of the illegal occupation.
Otherwise, embedding ICE agents into local departments is not just tone -deaf —it's a bitter joke. It
reinforces a colonial system that continues to deny justice, self-determination, and dignity to the
people of Hawaii.
We should not lead the state in building deeper ties with an agency that has terrorized immigrant
communities and acted outside the bounds of compassion and justice. We should lead with Aloha,
accountability, and a commitment to our communities —not federal overreach.
Mahalo for your support.
Elizabeth Hansen
Hakalau HI 96710
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