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Publication | Report
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Stewardship at Stake: Legal Considerations for Protecting Hawaiʻi Lands from Government Overreach

This paper responds to community requests for the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i to outline the statutory and constitutional limits on the United States (“U.S.”) military and State of Hawaiʻi with respect to decision making over Public Land Trust lands currently under military lease. This includes, but is not limited to, duties related to the unrelinquished claims of Native Hawaiians with respect to the Hawaiian Kingdom lands currently recognized as the Public Land Trust under state and U.S. federal law.
Publication | Report
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ACLU Hawaiʻi 2026 - 2029 Strategic Plan

This strategic plan sets the organization's direction for the next three years (June 2026 - June 2029). It is rooted in a theory of change grounded in the idea that lasting freedom is achieved when the law is used as a shield for the the people rather than a sword for the most powerful.
Resource
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Volunteer Attorney Program

Since the ACLU of Hawaiʻi was founded in 1965, volunteer attorneys have been critical to our work. In our early years, we had no paid staff attorneys, meaning every lawsuit depended on volunteers.
News & Commentary
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Hawaii Supreme Court hears arguments on DUI field sobriety test refusals

Justices weigh whether refusing a voluntary roadside test can be used as evidence of guilt

Press Releases

April 10, 2026

Community Advocates and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda Show Support for Survivors and Demand Accountability and Compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act

HONOLULU, HI – U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda joined community advocates from the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaiʻi (“ACLU of HI”) and Indivisible Hawaiʻi Statewide Network in delivering a message of support to the survivors of the Epstein crimes.

January 30, 2026

ACLU of Hawaiʻi Joins the “Nationwide Shutdown” in Solidarity to End Government-sponsored Violence Against Peaceful Protest

Offices will be closed on Friday, January 30, 2026

January 27, 2026

Aloha for Alex “A Day of Remembrance and Action” Spurs Community Wide Support for Bills to Protect Due Process and Hawaiʻi Residents

HONOLULU, HI – On Tuesday, January 27, over 300 people gathered at the Hawai‘i State Capitol for a community vigil to honor the life of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who was killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis last week.

Issues We're Monitoring

Indigenous Justice Prisoners' Rights Immigrants' Rights LGBTQ+ Rights View All Issues

Interacting with ICE Agents

The ACLU of Hawai‘i partnered with The Legal Clinic, Hawai‘i Coalition for Immigrant Rights (“HCIR”), and Roots Reborn to offer a comprehensive KYR training on how to interact with ICE agents, including a recorded training video and corresponding slides.
Explore Your Rights
Know Your Rights - Interacting with ICE Agents

Featured Case

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Petitioner v. Smith, et al.

On January 13, 2026, the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaiʻi (“ACLU of Hawai‘i”) filed a habeas immigration petition in federal court, seeking the release of Juan Jose Estrada Lopez, a Hawai‘i island resident and husband. At his green card interview in August 2025, he was ripped away from his family and community and locked up at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center. He has been detained there ever since—even though he has committed no crime.