More than 40 individuals, primarily public school teachers, gathered in Kona for a meeting with U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda to discuss concerns about immigration enforcement. The event was organized by the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association and focused on the impact of immigration crackdowns under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Participants, including educators, parents, and immigrant advocates from West Hawaiʻi, shared personal experiences highlighting how these crackdowns affect students and classrooms. Concerns raised included reports of ICE agents not following protocol, targeting students based on appearance, and causing fear among students who worry about being followed home.
Representative Tokuda described the meeting as “heart-wrenching” and noted that the room was filled with individuals “absolutely devastated” by the situation on Hawaiʻi Island. She emphasized that children are afraid to attend school or take regular routes home due to fears of being used as bait for family members’ capture by ICE.
Erin Griffith, a special education teacher at Konawaena Middle School, expressed that fear is prevalent among her immigrant students. She mentioned instances where students were frightened by uniformed personnel during a Navy band visit and noted that some students stay home out of fear of arrest.
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association (HSTA) has requested that the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HIDOE) assure school employees they will not face retaliation for refusing to participate in immigration enforcement. HSTA also seeks mandatory training for administrators on immigration issues. These requests were made in a letter to Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi.
HSTA is working on developing resources and guidance for educators regarding immigration raids. In response to previous appeals from HSTA, HIDOE released a Law Enforcement Guidance Policy in March. Recently, an incident occurred where over ten public school teachers were mistakenly detained by ICE officers during a raid in Kahului.
