ACLU seeks records on local police agreements with immigration enforcement, police departments say they're not helping ICE, judges' retirement benefits cut, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

 

ACLU of Hawaiʻi requests records from county police departments regarding immigration enforcement. In light of the recent passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that allocates resources into immigration enforcement along with an increase in immigration arrests in Hawaiʻi,  the ACLU of Hawai‘i submitted public records requests to all county police departments regarding any current agreements with the US Department of Homeland Security, including its Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies, in their immigration enforcement efforts in the state. Maui Now.

Police say they're not helping with immigration arrests. The Honolulu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii police departments are not part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s work to carry out the largest mass deportation operation in American history, police and federal officials told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Green signs ‘Sharkey’s Law’ to prevent keiki drownings. Five-year-old Charlotte “Sharkey” Schaefers drowned 21 years ago after saving a 3-year-old boy in a poorly maintained and overflowing detention retention pond, and her legacy was front and center during a bill-signing ceremony Thursday for the new “Sharkey’s Law” aimed at improving water safety for Hawaii’s children, adults and visitors. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. 

New law cuts retirement benefits for judges. A measure enacted Thursday by Gov. Josh Green that reduces by nearly half the retirement benefits for future judges comes at a time when the state Judiciary is struggling to find qualified judges, especially on the neighbor islands, and they are facing an increasing number of threats to their safety. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

City ready to roll out new user-friendly software for building permit applications. The city’s Department of Planning and Permitting has announced that it will start using a new system to apply for and track building permits next month. The new permitting software is called “HNL Build.” It is aimed at speeding up the application process, where lost time costs money. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu Has Been Struggling To Regulate Fireworks For More Than A Century. The only thing more reliable in Hawaii than the annual explosions lighting up the New Year’s Eve sky has been the failure of politicians and law enforcement to address the issue in any meaningful way. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

US military’s attempt to retain strategic land for training runs into Native Hawaiian opposition. A high-altitude plateau on the Big Island is the only place in Hawaii where thousands of ground forces can practice firing live munitions. It’s also a place many Native Hawaiians consider the spiritual heart of the island. Associated Press.

Four agricultural officers coming to Big Island this month for pilot program under new state law. To protect farmers and ranchers from being victims of crimes, four agricultural officers will be deployed to Hawaiʻi Island this month as part of a pilot enforcement program. Big Island Now.

Maui

Update: Council panel recesses vacation rental deliberations until July 23. Bill 9 aims to phase out thousands of transient vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts mostly in South and West Maui. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauai County Council warns of fake letters sent to residents. County officials said the fraudulent letters appear to use their official letterhead and contain false statements about illegal use of fireworks, enforcement actions, and penalties.  Hawaii News Now