Tuesday’s rally in the Capitol rotunda featured protesters calling for resistance to federal immigration policy, and it also drew a direct response from Hawaii’s governor on whether the Legislature should move faster on bills aimed at protecting immigrants. Gov. Josh Green told the crowd he was open to action by the Legislature to fast-track legislation protecting immigrants, speaking to several hundred people who carried signs including “Resist Dictatorship,” “No Secret Police, No troops in our streets” and “Murdered by ICE.”
Green said the national debate over immigration enforcement had reached a point that called for state action, describing the broader moment as “perilous” and saying that anything states can do to make clear that Hawaii is standing up against violence and protecting people is the right thing to do. After the rally, he later told Civil Beat it was time for Hawaii politicians to say no. Green also said he would “love to have bills come to me as fast as can be,” and he said seeing much of the Legislature’s leadership together at the rally gave him hope the change could happen.
At the same time, lawmakers who were asked about Green’s remarks hours later at a public Civil Beat forum previewing the 2026 legislative session said they had not yet committed to a fast-tracking plan. House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan said, “I don’t know, maybe,” when asked if bills that have been introduced recently to protect immigrants would be fast-tracked. Rep. Lauren Cheape Matsumoto, the House minority leader, said she would be in favor of moving quickly “as long as the bills go through proper process, have public input.” Assistant Majority Whip Chris Lee said, “That’s actually the first I heard that as well. But I expect to be part of the conversation.”
The governor’s remarks came three days after a fatal shooting involving immigration enforcement sparked renewed protests in Minneapolis, according to the report. The rally also referenced the death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents during demonstrations against ICE that have seized Minneapolis, after another confrontation involving immigration authorities that the report described as having killed Renee Good in her vehicle on Jan. 7. Green stood beside poster boards printed with photographs of Pretti and Good and told the crowd that “last time I checked, America believed in freedom of speech and protest and peaceful protest, and we believed that we were here to be protected by our government and supported in these moments.”
He said “that’s not what we’ve been seeing, and it’s tragic,” adding that it was “to imagine what we’re losing in America.” Advocates in the audience said the message was important for them, including Sergio Alcubilla, director of community engagement at ACLU of Hawaiʻi, who said: “We wanted them to make a commitment that they’re going to protect Hawaiʻi, and we’re grateful that they came out and did that.” House Speaker Nadine Nakamura, who also spoke, said immigrants need protection as well as due process, and she said legislators should build protections, accountability and penalties to ensure Hawaii residents are protected.
The report said rally organizers urged the crowd to contact legislators to push for bills that would protect immigrants, noting that a number of similar measures died in the last legislative session. Among bills introduced again this session, the report said one would essentially prohibit local law enforcement officers from cooperating with immigration authorities, while another would limit agents’ access to “safe places” such as schools, medical facilities, courthouses and libraries. State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, who introduced several such bills in the Senate, said after the rally that he hoped committees would hear them quickly, saying the Legislature would send requests for hearings “as soon as they can be.”
Green also acknowledged that the process of fast-tracking legislation is uncommon. The report said fast-tracking generally requires legislation to pass through as few committees as possible in one chamber with little amendment, then proceed through a similar process in the other chamber so it can move directly to the governor without returning to the first chamber. As an example, Keohokalole pointed to the Legislature’s 2023 fast-track of a bill that enshrined protections for abortion procedures after the 2022 Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
When asked whether he would support bills that would largely prohibit local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, often described as “sanctuary” policies, Green said the state administration was already working to limit overreach by separating responsibilities and ensuring that ICE does not exceed its authority. He said, “We already have our attorney general carefully separating and making sure that ICE doesn’t overreach,” and he added that further detail from the Legislature could be helpful if lawmakers want to “fully describe (the limits on cooperation).” Green also spoke about what he said should be applied in cases involving serious offenses, saying the administration and lawmakers must maintain due process and allow that individuals who commit “terrible crimes” may have to leave the country, while he said the state should not target citizens or people living peacefully and working in the U.S.
Immigrant advocates said the urgency they see from events elsewhere should translate into action at the state level. Liza Ryan Gill, co-coordinator of the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights, said of Green’s and Keohokalole’s statements: “That is exactly what we want to hear; hope is not a plan.” Gill said, “We need to be ready as a state,” and described the situation as akin to a natural disaster, adding that urgency is key.