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Campaign for Immigrant Justice 2026 · Session Laws of Hawaiʻi

The six Acts, one by one.

Passed Final Reading on May 6 — signed by Governor Green on June 24–26, 2026. Together they reshape how Hawaiʻi protects immigrant communities, families, and survivors.

Act 141Act 142Act 143Act 161Act 162Act 179
At a glance

Six laws, in plain words

Every Act below is laid out the same way: what the law does, section by section, why it matters, the testimony behind it, and the official record at the Capitol.

ACT141

Keeping local law enforcement out of federal immigration enforcement.

ACT142

Protecting survivors of crime who come forward for help.

ACT143

Preventing unjust sentencing consequences that separate families.

ACT161

Defending due process and the rights of people in custody.

ACT162

Protecting access to schools, hospitals, and other essential spaces.

ACT179

Breaking language barriers to essential services and opportunities.

The record

Act by Act

Plain-words summaries by the coalition and its partners — the signed text and the bill history are linked on every Act. The statute controls.

ACT141
Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026
SB 2057 SD2 HD2 CD1
Approved by the Governor · June 24, 2026In effect ✓
Noncooperation

Limiting Cooperation with Federal Civil Immigration Enforcement

Keeping local law enforcement out of federal immigration enforcement.

Prohibits any law enforcement agency or official from entering a federal agreement (such as 287(g)) that permits state or county agencies to engage in immigration enforcement, and prohibits certain immigration-related actions except under limited circumstances.

What the law does

  1. Limits state and county law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
  2. Prohibits 287(g) or similar agreements that deputize local officers to carry out federal immigration enforcement.
  3. With limited exceptions, bars asking about citizenship or immigration status, honoring federal notification requests for immigration enforcement, and sharing non-public personal information with immigration authorities in non-criminal matters.
  4. Bars immigration interviews of people in custody without their written consent, detention on the basis of hold requests, and transfers to federal immigration authorities without judicial authorization — or otherwise cooperating in civil immigration enforcement.
Act 141 · Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026SB 2057 · approved June 24, 2026
ACT142
Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026
HB 1838 HD2 SD1 CD1
Approved by the Governor · June 24, 2026In effect ✓
Survivors of crime

U and T Visa Certifications

Protecting survivors of crime who come forward for help.

Establishes uniform statewide requirements for U and T visa certifications for noncitizen victims of crime, consistent with federal law — every state and county certifying entity must adopt an aligned, timely, transparent policy and process.

What the law does

  1. Statewide standards for U and T visa certifications: written policies, designated certifying officials, and response timelines — expedited for urgent cases, such as a victim in removal proceedings.
  2. No requirements more restrictive than federal law.
  3. Language access protocols, victim confidentiality protections, and a rebuttable presumption that the victim was helpful.
  4. Judicial review of certification delays or denials — petitions in circuit court, with attorney fees if the petitioner prevails.
  5. The Attorney General trains state and county certifying officials.
Act 142 · Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026HB 1838 · approved June 24, 2026
ACT143
Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026
HB 1548 HD1 SD1 CD1
Approved by the Governor · June 24, 2026In effect ✓
Fair sentencing

Nonviolent Misdemeanor Sentencing: 364 Days

Preventing unjust sentencing consequences that separate families.

Limits the maximum term of imprisonment for misdemeanors that are not crimes of violence to 364 days, and allows individuals previously sentenced to one year for non-violent offenses to apply for sentence reconsideration.

What the law does

  1. Reduces the maximum sentence for nonviolent misdemeanors by one day, to 364 days, to prevent disproportionate immigration consequences.
  2. Applies to offenses that are not crimes of violence and are punishable under state law by up to one year.
  3. “Crime of violence” has the same meaning as in Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes section 134-1.
Act 143 · Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026HB 1548 · approved June 24, 2026
ACT161
Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026
HB 1839 HD2 SD2 CD1
Approved by the Governor · June 25, 2026In effect ✓
TRUTH Act

The TRUTH Act: Rights Notice and Consent Before ICE Interviews

Defending due process and the rights of people in custody.

Requires state and county law enforcement to notify any individual in custody of their rights before any interview with federal immigration authorities about civil immigration violations can begin — and makes records of federal immigration access to detained individuals public records.

What the law does

  1. People in state or county custody must be told their rights — in a language they understand — before any federal civil immigration interview, including the right to have their attorney present and to decline the interview.
  2. ICE is granted access only with the person’s written consent.
  3. Notice is also required when ICE requests an immigration hold, a transfer, or notification of release — and how the agency intends to respond.
  4. Records related to federal immigration requests are public records.
  5. Violations can be brought to the Attorney General or county prosecutors; people whose due process rights are violated may sue.
Act 161 · Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026HB 1839 · approved June 25, 2026
ACT162
Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026
HB 1870 HD2 SD1 CD1
Approved by the Governor · June 25, 2026In effect ✓
Protected community locations

Protected Community Locations

Protecting access to schools, hospitals, and other essential spaces.

Requires all state and county agencies operating protected community locations — schools, hospitals, courthouses, libraries, shelters — to adopt and post written policies by January 1, 2027: identifying nonpublic areas, establishing warrant-verification and staff-response procedures, prohibiting collection of certain immigration-status data, and requiring annual training and multilingual notices. The Attorney General publishes model policies.

What the law does

  1. State and county agencies that operate sensitive locations must adopt and post policies that identify nonpublic areas, set procedures for warrant verification and staff response, prohibit collecting certain immigration-status data, and require annual staff training.
  2. Multilingual notices that services are provided regardless of immigration status.
  3. The Attorney General publishes model policies for state and county agencies to adopt — and for private operators such as schools or places of worship to adopt voluntarily.
Agency policies due January 1, 2027
Act 162 · Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026HB 1870 · approved June 25, 2026
ACT179
Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026
SB 3238 SD1 HD1 CD1
Approved by the Governor · June 26, 2026In effect ✓
Language access

Language Access Education and Workforce Program

Breaking language barriers to essential services and opportunities.

Establishes a Language Access Education and Workforce Development Program at the University of Hawaiʻi — positions and funds at UH Mānoa, Leeward Community College, and Kapiʻolani Community College — building a pipeline of certified interpreters for state services in Hawaiʻi’s most-spoken languages.

What the law does

  1. A language access education and workforce development program at the University of Hawaiʻi.
  2. Priority for high school graduates who earned the Department of Education’s Seal of Biliteracy and for community members with demonstrated biliteracy.
  3. Training in ethics, standards, best practices, specialized instruction, and opportunities in public service settings.
  4. Funding divided among UH Mānoa, Leeward Community College, and Kapiʻolani Community College.
Act 179 · Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026SB 3238 · approved June 26, 2026

Six laws. One standard: due process for all.

Read how the campaign won them, or follow the Roadshow as the laws go back to every island.

The Timeline →The Roadshow →← CIJ 2026 overview