By Trent Unebasami, KHON2 News
Published: Jan. 12. 2026
HONOLULU (KHON2) — ACLU of Hawaii announced its 2026 legislative priorities in a press conference on Jan. 12.
The executive director said the organization is determined to hold the federal administration accountable:
“We have the power to ensure that Hawaii remains the beautiful, diverse and open society we all enjoy. Specifically, we are going to ensure that immigration and customs enforcement agents are not allowed to operate with impunity, and we know that the community is with us, telling our legislators that we want no secret police in our streets.”
Salmah Rizvi, ACLU of Hawaii Executive Director
ACLU Hawaii said that they also want to tackle bail reform to focus more on rehabilitation.
“For $1 billion, we could fund so many necessary services and benefits in our communities, such as universal pre-K,” said Mandy Fernandes, ACLU Hawaii Policy Director. “So we need to make sure we are spending it wisely . . . . We’ve heard from the department about ongoing problems like chronic understaffing of the jail and overcrowding and the solution is staring us in the face. There are alternatives to cash bail that we know are just as effective for ensuring appearance in court and keeping our communities safe.”
They also hope that the state will adopt protections for gender affirming health care services, such as mental health or behavioral health care.
“These medical decisions should be left to individuals and their doctors, not from the government, outside states, or the courts,” said Donavan Kamakani Albano, ACLU Hawaii Policy Fellow. “This is about the fundamental right to bodily autonomy. This is about restoring a vital part of Hawai‘i’s cultural and genealogical integrity. And this is about community safety where every person in Hawai‘i is free to grow and live without fear.”
The 2026 legislative session opens on Wednesday, Jan. 21.