News & Commentary

ACLU of Hawaiʻi attorney Leilani Stacy has filed several winning habeas petitions. (Craig Fujii/Civil Beat/2026)

Locked Up Too Long? Legal Tactic Challenges Hawaiʻi ICE Detentions

Joaquin David Rico-Tapia had been held at Honolulu’s Federal Detention Center for six weeks when his attorney filed a special petition last September arguing he had been illegally detained as his deportation case went forward.

Latest Press Release

Aug 6, 2026

ACLU of Hawaiʻi Opposes HPD’s Drone As First Responder Program, Calls for Independent Oversight and Civil Liberties Safeguards

ACLU of Hawaiʻi raises concerns about surveillance, facial recognition, and the lack of legislative safeguards for HPD's new drone policing initiative.
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Stay informed on civil rights issues. Discover our latest actions and updates in the Press Release section.

Aug 06, 2026

Honolulu police use drones as first responders in 2 districts

HPD begins using drones for 911 responses as the ACLU of Hawaiʻi raises concerns about privacy and oversight.

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Jul 29, 2026

Covering the Cost: The cost of immigration in Hawaii’s economy

In HNN’s livestream show “Covering the Cost with Annalisa Burgos,” we break down the numbers behind Hawaii’s affordability crisis in candid conversations with financial experts, entrepreneurs and community leaders.

Covering the Cost: The cost of immigration in Hawaii’s economy
Jul 29, 2026

Hawaii enacts immigrant justice laws amid calls for stronger protections

State lawmakers and immigrant advocates gathered Tuesday at the state Capitol Rotunda to mark the signing of six immigrant justice laws and honor the people who have died in immigration detention or enforcement actions under the Trump administratoin.

Hawaii enacts immigrant justice laws amid calls for stronger protections
Jul 27, 2026

KHON: AI surveillance in Hawaii prompts ‘Big Brother’ concerns

HPD plans to expand AI-powered license plate readers, drawing concerns over privacy, surveillance, and AI errors.

AI surveillance in Hawaii prompts ‘Big Brother’ concerns
Jul 15, 2026

Ex-officer seeks taxpayer-funded defense in DUI class-action suit

Former HPD sergeant Darren Cachola seeks taxpayer-funded legal defense in an ACLU Hawaiʻi civil rights lawsuit over DUI arrests.

Ex-officer seeks taxpayer-funded defense in DUI class-action suit
Jul 13, 2026

Hawaii Supreme Court Rules That Unmarried Woman, a Nonbiological Parent, Is a Legal Parent

Hawaiʻi Supreme Court: Unmarried, non-biological women can be legal parents if they raise a child as their own, overturning a male-only rule.

Hawaiʻi Hands
Jul 09, 2026

Makana Eyre: Who Regulates Bounty Hunters In Hawaiʻi? No One

Meanwhile, other states have imposed strict rules for bail enforcement agents.

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Jul 08, 2026

Honolulu Homeless Services Program Too Disorganized To Assess, Auditor Says

The CORE program was started in 2021 and has changed its focus repeatedly since then, confounding efforts to gauge its effectiveness.

Honolulu CORE team EMT Bethany Nakano in the ambulance, talks with EMS director Jim Ireland, far right, after picking up a homeless patient outside Adventist Health Castle hospital. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Jun 30, 2026

Hawaiʻi Public Radio: What the Supreme Court's final 2026 rulings mean for Hawaiʻi Here's the full HPR interview

Supreme Court protects birthright citizenship but allows states to restrict trans athletes, while Hawaii’s protections remain in place.

Activists celebrate the Supreme Court's ruling on birthright citizenship, outside of the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington.