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Committee defers measure on protecting students from immigration enforcement after testimony and questions
Summary
Lawmakers deferred HCR 183 after testimony from the Board of Education, DOE, public-health groups and immigrant-rights advocates; members raised unanswered definitional and enforcement questions and clarified a widely reported Konawaena incident occurred off campus and the student was not deported.
The House Committee on Education deferred HCR 183 on April 7 after receiving testimony from the Board of Education, the Department of Education, public-health groups and immigrant-rights educators and raising outstanding questions about definitions and enforcement mechanisms.
Cap Poy, speaking on behalf of the Board of Education, said the board supported the resolution and noted it had passed a similar resolution the previous year. Jesse Souki, Deputy Superintendent of Operations for DOE, offered comments and stood on the department’s written testimony but said some implementation details required further work.
Yasmin Chaney for the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women said immigration enforcement actions can negatively affect students and families, creating barriers to education, safety and stability. Chris Coughlin of the Boy Public Health Institute described increased enforcement activity and cited research he said linked enforcement to higher absenteeism and declines in performance; Coughlin urged protections for students and said fear of enforcement disrupts learning and wellbeing.
Christine Andrews, a volunteer "know your rights" educator, said she has reviewed DOE guidance and asked for a more comprehensive school-focused training model on how schools should respond, contact parents and handle student pickup and drop-off in enforcement concerns; she offered to assist the department in developing training.
Committee members asked whether a referenced incident at Konawaena Elementary involved a student being removed on campus and deported. The committee was told that reporting included inaccuracies: the event had occurred off campus and the student was not deported, and corrections had been sought with the reporting outlet.
Committee leadership said there was not sufficient time to resolve definitional and enforcement questions and directed staff and the agencies to continue working on guidance; HCR 183 was deferred for further work rather than advanced in this hearing.
