Bill > HCR183

This concurrent resolution requests the Hawaii Department of Education to create, approve, and put into action a uniform plan for responding to immigration enforcement activities that happen at or within one thousand feet of public schools, and to establish rules for dealing with such activities at school events and specific school locations. This plan aims to safeguard students' safety and emotional well-being, minimize disruptions to learning, ensure compliance with laws, and provide clear instructions to school staff. The resolution highlights that previous federal policies protected sensitive locations like schools from immigration enforcement, but these protections have been weakened, leading to negative impacts in Hawaii, including a recent incident where a student was deported after being removed from a school campus. The resolution emphasizes that schools should be safe havens and that unplanned enforcement actions cause fear and distress, and therefore, the Department of Education is asked to develop protocols for immigration presence, student protection, parent communication, staff training, and coordination with relevant agencies, while also updating the plan as needed.