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Times change, political leaders change, but the American Civil Liberties Union mission remains the same: no matter who is in charge, we’re here to protect and advance civil rights as guaranteed by the U.S. and Hawai‘i State Constitutions. We are non-profit, non-partisan, and do not accept government funding. The ACLU of Hawai‘i was established in […]
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FILE SUPREME COURT AMICUS BRIEF IN DEFENSE OF SPEECH AND PRIVACY RIGHTS OF PEOPLE ENGAGING IN POLITICAL ADVOCACY
Honolulu, Hawai‘i: On Friday, March 20, 2020, three nonprofit organizations — the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i (“ACLU of Hawai‘i”), the Japanese American Citizens League, Honolulu Chapter (“JACL Honolulu”), and the Iwamoto Family Foundation (“IFF”) — filed an amicus brief in the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court in defense of the speech and privacy rights of people […]
CDC GUIDANCE IS TO NOT CLEAR HOUSELESS ENCAMPMENTS DURING SPREAD OF COVID-19
Honolulu, Hawai‘i: Following up on the press release we sent out last week, we received a copy from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. We are told this guidance will soon be posted on the CDC website. Among other things, the guidance clearly states: Unless individual housing units are available, do not clear encampments during community […]
EXPERTS, OFFICIALS, AND ADVOCATES CALL FOR END OF ‘SWEEPS’ OF HOUSELESS COMMUNITY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Honolulu, Hawai‘i: The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i (“ACLU of Hawai‘i”), Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, and public health experts from the Hawai‘i Health and Harm Reduction Center (“HHHRC”) are warning that the City’s continued “sweeps” of the houseless population during the current COVID-19 pandemic put public safety at greater risk. Lieutenant Governor Josh Green […]
ACLU OF HAWAI‘I URGES THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO DEVELOP PROACTIVE PLAN FOR COVID-19 PREVENTION IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
Honolulu, Hawai‘i: The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i (“ACLU of Hawai‘i”) has sent a letter to the Hawai‘i Department of Public Safety (“PSD”) urging it to take immediate action in developing a proactive, evidence-based plan for the prevention and management of COVID-19 in the correctional and detention facilities under PSD’s oversight. People in jails […]
ACLU OF HAWAI‘I FILES AMICUS BRIEF SUPPORTING KAHEA’S RIGHTS TO ASSOCIATION AND PRIVACY
Honolulu, Hawai‘i: On Friday, March 3, 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i (the ACLU of Hawaiʻi) filed an amicus brief in support of KAHEA’s attempt to stop the Department of the Attorney General from enforcing a subpoena for KAHEA’s bank records as part of the AG’s investigation into the environmental non-profit’s support of […]
ACLU of Hawai‘i testimony in support of HB 2203 HD 1
One of the 2020 legislative priorities for the ACLU of Hawai‘i is ensuring that all students have access to a fair, quality education. To get there, we support, with suggested amendments, HB 2203 HD 1, a bill that will eliminate school suspensions for elementary students and cap suspensions to 10 days per school year for […]
2019 BOARD ELECTION COMPLETE
Big mahalo to everyone who voted in our recent Board Elections! Elected to the Board of Directors for a three-year volunteer term: Barbara L. Franklin, Rev. Blayne Higa, Jeffrey Hong, and Marianita Lopez. Congratulations and mahalo for your service! They serve along with the other members of Board of Directors, which act as one body and provides stewardship for […]
ACLU OF HAWAI‘I EXPRESSES FIRST AMENDMENT CONCERNS OVER SUBPOENAS AGAINST KAHEA
Honolulu, Hawai‘i: The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i (ACLU of Hawai‘i) has serious concerns that the Department of the Attorney General is abusing its regulatory power over non-profit organizations by investigating KAHEA for supporting the Mauna Kea demonstrations. In the ACLU’s view, targeting nonprofit groups and investigating them for their advocacy and political affiliation […]
ACLU OF HAWAI‘I ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF LGBTQ+ STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
Honolulu, Hawai‘i: The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i (ACLU of Hawai‘i) is excited to announce the two recipients of the Tom Humphreys and Allan Wang Civil Rights Fund student scholarship: Jessie Hearther as the recipient of the high school portion and Jamie Shugars as recipient of the college/graduate school portion. A resident of Maui and student at the […]
Column: End stigma against incarceration, 1 ohana at a time
Originally published in the Honolulu Star Advertiser, 1/14/2020 By Shayna Lonoaea-Alexander When my dad was locked up, I didn’t talk to anyone about it. His absence marked my volleyball games, first days at school, grandma’s cancer treatments, our big family Christmas Eve parties in Wahiawa and Waianae and other countless moments. Yet my fear of […]
