Honolulu adopted Resolution 17-78 declaring itself a Welcoming City and Hawaiʻi limits state and local cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement under HRS §28-12, though the framework stops short of a full sanctuary statute.
Honolulu City Council Resolution 17-78 (2017) affirmed that HPD does not initiate contacts to determine immigration status and directs city departments to provide services regardless of immigration status. At the state level, HRS §28-12 (Act 64, 2018) bars Hawaiʻi law enforcement from honoring ICE detainer requests without a judicial warrant and from using state resources for civil immigration enforcement. The Hawaiʻi Attorney General publishes guidance for police, schools, hospitals, and courts on limiting federal cooperation. Crime victims and witnesses are explicitly protected. The framework leaves intact mandatory cooperation in criminal investigations and federal task-force agreements.
City employees who breach Resolution 17-78 face administrative discipline. Officers who violate HRS §28-12 may be subject to internal affairs review and civil suits for unlawful detention beyond the underlying state authority.
See how Honolulu's sanctuary policy preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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