Hawaii says ‘hands off our locals’ with 25 bills banning ICE from schools, hospitals, and libraries

Lawmakers push a new strategy this session

Hawaii lawmakers are moving more than 25 bills this session to limit how much state and local agencies help with federal immigration enforcement.

The centerpiece is HB1870, which would label schools, social service agencies, and health care facilities as “protected community locations.”

Local officials would not be able to assist with civil immigration enforcement at or near those sites. It marks a big shift from 2025, when every similar bill died early in the session.

A year of crackdowns changed the tone

Lawmakers say they watched a year of stepped-up federal immigration enforcement across the country and decided a wait-and-see approach no longer worked.

State Sen. Karl Rhoads, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the 2025 strategy of holding back was no longer an option.

Two deadly shootings in Minnesota in January 2026, involving federal agents and U.S. citizens who were observing and protesting their actions, shifted views further.

Advocates also pushed a multi-bill strategy to boost the odds of getting at least some measures through.

HB1870 sets rules for protected locations

The bill would create statewide standards that stop state and county agencies, officers, employees, and contractors from helping with civil immigration enforcement in or near protected community locations.

By Jan. 1, 2027, every agency running one of these locations would need to adopt and post written policies. Annual staff training and data privacy protections would also kick in.

The bill sets aside money for the Attorney General to oversee the rollout.

HB1870 passed the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee and moved to the Finance Committee on Feb. 20.

Other bills target police agreements

HB1870 is not alone. HB1886 would stop police departments from joining federal task force operations that could lead to civil immigration detention or deportation.

HB1768 would block state or local law enforcement from entering agreements under Section 287(g) of federal immigration law, which lets local officers carry out certain immigration enforcement duties.

HB2540 would ban police from stopping people just to ask about their immigration status. HB1839 would require police to tell people in custody about their rights before federal agents interview them.

Facial covering ban moves the fastest

SB2203 would make it a crime for law enforcement officers to wear facial coverings when dealing with the public. It already crossed from the Senate to the House, making it the bill furthest along.

Lawmakers amended it after pushback from the Honolulu Police Department and the state Department of Law Enforcement to allow masks during undercover operations. Other states have passed similar laws.

California approved a measure banning law enforcement officers, including federal officers, from wearing masks in most situations.

Federal policy shift started this fight

The push traces back to Jan. 20, 2025, when the Trump administration rescinded the federal “protected areas” policy.

That policy, first created in 2011 under an ICE directive and expanded in 2021 under the Biden administration, had limited immigration enforcement near schools, hospitals, churches, and other sensitive locations.

The administration replaced it with guidance telling officers to use discretion and common sense, removing protections for any specific type of location. ICE agents now face no formal restrictions at those sites.

The administration defends the change

The Trump administration has said the rescission lets officers enforce immigration laws without letting people avoid arrest by staying in certain locations.

The Department of Homeland Security told officers to keep using enforcement discretion along with common sense.

On Jan. 31, 2025, ICE issued a follow-up memo with some minimal guidance, including a requirement that agents check with ICE legal counsel before taking enforcement actions at public demonstrations.

The administration has broadly opposed state-level sanctuary-type policies.

DOJ targets sanctuary jurisdictions

In August 2025, the Department of Justice published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, naming 13 states, 18 cities, and four counties as having policies that block federal immigration enforcement.

The DOJ has also filed lawsuits against states and cities over those policies. Hawaii could face similar federal challenges if its bills become law.

Some states have gone the other direction, passing laws that penalize local officials who adopt sanctuary policies.

Governor Green backs a fast timeline

Gov. Josh Green said in January 2026 that he would welcome the legislature fast-tracking immigration protection bills. His remarks caught some legislative leaders off guard at first.

But his spokesperson confirmed in late February that the governor’s position had not changed. Advocates say they have not heard from any elected official that fast-tracking plans have shifted.

Green’s support gives the effort a boost as bills move through committee.

Police task force agreements face scrutiny

Police departments in all four Hawaii counties now have agreements putting their officers on task forces at federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, a division of ICE, and the FBI.

Officials at all four departments have said those agreements do not allow their officers to take part in immigration enforcement.

But advocates argue state laws are needed as added safeguards, no matter what current department policies say. HB1886 and HB1768 would put those limits into state law.

Other states are making similar moves

Hawaii is not alone. Colorado passed a bill in 2025 expanding immigrant protections and limiting where ICE can go inside public schools, hospitals, and libraries without a judicial warrant.

Massachusetts filed legislation to keep ICE out of courthouses, schools, hospitals, and churches.

At the federal level, lawmakers introduced the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act in Congress to write the old protected areas policy into law.

The trend shows growing state-level pushback against federal enforcement.

Bills still face a long road ahead

As of early March 2026, HB1870 sits at roughly 25% of the way through the full legislative process. About half of the 25-plus immigration bills introduced this session have already died.

Advocates say they want strong, legally sound bills even if that means a slower timeline.

Rep. David Tarnas, chair of the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, said he wants to work closely with the Attorney General’s office and immigration lawyers to make sure the language holds up in court.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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