Hawai‘i J20+

Hawai‘i J20+ condemns the continued aggression by ICE against our local communities. We stand firmly in solidarity with all migrants who continue to face persecution, arrest, and detention from ongoing attacks by ICE and the Trump administration. ICE’s arbitrary and capricious enforcement – as with the detention and threat of deportation of O‘ahu resident Rogerio Carlos Barbosa Araujo – is a painful reminder of the daily violence and fear migrant communities endure across the country. ICE’s continued violent enforcement actions across the country, and their admission to violating constitutionally protected rights in court proceedings, raise serious doubts and questions when it comes to raids like the most recent one we witnessed on Kaua‘i on November 5, 2025.

We speak out not just for those recently detained, but for all migrants whose dignity and rights are constantly under threat, whether in Hawai‘i or elsewhere in the U.S. Our advocacy is rooted in the belief that every person deserves safety, respect, and dignity, regardless of their immigration status.

Additionally, we reject President Trump’s and the Department of Human Services’ claim that they are only deporting “the worst of the worst” criminals. According to AP news, “ICE statistics show that as of June 29, 2025, there were 57,861 people detained by ICE, 41,495 — 71.7% — of whom had no criminal convictions. That includes 14,318 people with pending criminal charges and 27,177 who are subject to immigration enforcement, but have no known criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.” We further note that non-US citizens charged or convicted of crimes are subjected to a form of double-punishment. Regardless of people’s citizenship or immigration status, criminal offenses are handled by local police, prosecutors, judges, and juries at the state or federal level. However, a growing number of non-US citizens suffer the additional punishment of immigration detention and deportation. The Trump administration has intensified this and justified it through its rhetoric that “migrants are criminals.” Moreover, numerous legal residents and citizens have been subject to violence and detainment by ICE.

We also wish to address the harm caused by recent public comments that repeat the Trump administration’s demonstrably inaccurate rhetoric, suggesting that all unauthorized migrants are “criminals” or that migrants are more likely to be “criminals” than US citizens. Both of these beliefs are false. These falsehoods are repeated only to further demonize and scapegoat migrants, like the Kauai 44, who did the important work of cleaning residential and commercial properties. Furthermore, labeling them as members of a gang (such as Tren de Aragua) without any substantiation is also something that the Trump administration regularly does to justify its brutal crackdown on migrants across the U.S.

As witnessed with the ongoing malicious prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, this administration will set a narrative and then proceed to attempt to manufacture facts to fit that narrative. It has even gone as far as to fire justice department attorneys who refuse to lie in court (Pelley, 2025). Our local media should be more responsible and more loyal to the truth by presenting these allegations as unsubstantiated, unproven allegations. Further, such allegations must be discussed in the context of the Trump administration’s outright, deliberate lying in previous immigration cases when it has falsely accused migrants of criminal gang affiliation. This callous lying on the part of the federal government puts all of us at risk of malicious prosecution based on lies and makes a mockery of our justice system and the rule of law. We should all be watching closely to see if there is any evidence to substantiate the claims that the recent raid on Kaua‘i has anything to do with prosecuting organized crime or if, yet again, the Trump administration is manufacturing evidence after the fact to justify their mass deportation campaign.

Additionally, recent revelations from ongoing lawsuits demonstrate the cruel and inhumane conditions in which the Department of Homeland Security holds the victims of its sweeping immigration enforcement actions. 2025 has become the deadliest year on record for migrants in US detention facilities as the sheer volume of detainees drives DHS to pack human beings in unsanitary and extreme conditions without adequate food, medical care, or access to legal counsel (ACLU of Illinois, 2025; Gibson, 2025). As ICE conducts such a large-scale raid on Kaua‘i, detaining 44 people at once, what conditions are they subjecting our neighbors to when they hold them in these detention facilities? In light of ICE’s ongoing abuses, they owe it to us to prove they are being held in humane and dignified conditions.

As migrant advocates, our role is not to draw more lines between us but to build bridges of solidarity. Advocacy means standing together, not passing judgment by repeating falsehoods or unsubstantiated claims. It means affirming our shared humanity in the face of this oppressive and cruel system that tries to divide us. We call on our allies, organizations, and the broader public to remember that our fight is for all people. This includes migrants, with or without documents. In this moment of fear and uncertainty, Hawai‘i J20+ is now more than ever committed to organizing, defending, and caring for one another because no human is illegal on this shared planet.

[Note: This is a living document. We are actively gathering support from other organizations.]

References

ACLU of Illinois (2025, October 31) “Federal Court Asked to Address Inhumane Conditions Experienced by Those Held at Broadview ICE Facility,” Retrieved November 8, 2025, from https://www.aclu-il.org/en/press-releases/federal-court-asked-address-inhumane-conditions-experienced-those-held-broadview-ice

Gibson, M. (2025, October 17). “Trump Administration Deadlier for ICE Detainees Than COVID-19 Pandemic.” American Immigration Council. Retrieved November 8, 2025, from https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/trump-deadlier-for-ice-detainees-than-covid-19-pandemic/

Pelley, S. (2025, October 19). “Fired Justice Department lawyer says he refused to lie in the Abrego Garcia case.” CBS News. Retrieved November 8, 2025, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/erez-reuveni-justice-department-whistleblower-kilmar-abrego-garcia-60-minutes/