Free public events will explain Hawaii‛s new immigrant justice laws and what they meant for local communities.
The Campaign for Immigrant Justice (CIJ) coalition will hold two free public events in Hilo and Kona on Thursday, November 12, 2026 to present and explain Hawaii's new immigrant justice laws.
The events are part of a four-county Due Process Roadshow running through January that brings together the people responsible for implementing the laws and the communities most affected by them.
This event is free and open to everyone. The Hawai'i Coalition for Immigrant Rights (HCIR) is co-hosting the events with Hawai‘i County Council Member Jennifer Kagiwada, The Legal Clinic (TLC), the ACLU of Hawai‘i, A.L.O.H.A. Latinos Association, Kona Indivisible, and North Hawai’i Indivisible.
“Six Laws, Real Aloha” captures what the Campaign for Immigrant Justice achieved during the 2026 legislative session. Led by the coalition steering committee, which included HCIR, TLC, and the ACLU, in partnership with Indivisible and more than 50 other organizations, the campaign helped secure a legislative package that strengthens immigrant rights and due process protections statewide.
The public presentations will highlight the following new laws:
- Act 141, limiting local police cooperation with federalimmigration enforcement;
- Act 142, establishing statewide standards for U and T visa certifications for crime survivors;
- Act 143, reducing the maximum sentence for nonviolent misdemeanors from 365 to 364 days;
- Act 161, requiring notice of rights for people in state and county custody before any civil immigration interview;
- Act 162, requiring protected community locations to adopt policies for responding to federal immigration enforcement; and
- Act 179, establishing a language access education and workforce development program at the University of Hawai’i.
In addition to the public presentations, coalition organizers will meet separately with leaders of the agencies charged with implementing these new laws, including county police, prosecutors, corporation counsel, and administrators.
Location: Kona/West Hawai‛i: 4:30-6:30PM, West Hawai‘i Civic Center Building G.
For more information, visit CIJ 2026 — Campaign for Immigrant Justice · Six Laws · Due Process Roadshow · HCIR.
