KAHULUI, Hawaii (KHON2) — A United States citizen said she was held against her will by federal immigration agents, along with over a dozen others, outside a Kahului home on the morning of Tuesday, May 7.
She said she heard pounding at the door around 6:15 a.m.
“I woke up to agents dressed in black with guns outside of my window pounding at the door, saying to ‘open up’ and that they had a warrant,” the Maui teacher described. “I gently opened the door a crack and asked them if they were ICE and for identification, they rushed past me, pointing guns, telling me that they were looking for a convicted felon.”
The teacher wished to stay anonymous. She said she kept telling the agents she was a U.S. citizen and living with teachers who were here legally on visas, and asked if she could prove it with proper identification.
“I was denied, as I noticed that they pointed their guns and ushered the other teachers, including myself, down the stairs,” she said. She said half were taken outside with just blankets and wet hair, because they had just gotten out of the shower and were getting ready for the school day.
She said about 12 other teachers lived at the house with family members and children.
“I began to notice that some of the people around me were shaking and that one of the teachers’ daughters, who was in front, was crying, and I was really concerned, so I asked again, gently, if we could show them documentation to prove our identity. And once again, I was told no,” she continued.
After about 45 minutes, she said she was able to show her U.S. passport. “He was taken aback and looked shocked and apologized to me several times,” the Maui teacher said. All the teachers and family members were released and rushed to get to school for the day.
When she returned home from work, she asked the landlord if the agents provided a warrant. The landlord apparently told her they did after the fact, and they were looking for a man who lived at the house over a year ago.
“But when they were searching the house, and then when I was out front with them, I did repeatedly say to them that we are teachers, they have proof of identification, that they’re legally here in the United States, and I am a citizen as well. Can we please show you our documentation? Because the person you’re looking for, I do not think, is here, so I did try to repeatedly ask for that, and I was repeatedly told no, until a certain point of time had passed when I think they had realized that that person was not there and that they had made a mistake.”
“The whole situation was really overwhelming and traumatic for all of us, but I felt the need to speak out, because I felt it could have been handled better, and I really do not want to see that happen again with teachers who are here to help our children who are here legally as well,” the teacher added.
The Hawaii Department of Education said the teachers are here legally under the U.S. Department of State’s J-1 Visa program, which offers foreign teachers the chance to teach in U.S. schools to address the ongoing teacher shortage.
The Hawaii State Teachers Association said there was no public apology for the harm that was done to the teachers and believes this will have a negative impact on others wanting to join the program in the future.
“We encourage our students to take their time and do their homework, as we’ve seen across the country and now here in our communities, our government is not doing their homework and doing sloppy work, which jeopardizes lives and the well being of those who live here,” Osa Tui, HSTA President said. “We’re concerned that, if this was a mistake, what other mistakes are being made or will be made affecting other innocent people. This week is teacher appreciation week, and we appreciate all that our teachers do for our students, but we do not appreciate how this situation was handled, and expect more from these federal agencies.”
He said this is happening in other states as well.
“We’re glad that this situation ended with them being released, but had this Maui teacher not been there, there might have been a different outcome, and we’re very worried that that might happen again.”
Immigration attorneys say citizens, green card and visa holders have the right to remain silent and verify warrants, which can be done without opening the door.
“It’s important to examine that document and to see the person’s name on the warrant actually lives at the home or doesn’t live at the home,” explained Melissa Vincenty, managing director of Worldwide Migration Partners. “This mistake is made quite often, that they’re looking for somebody, and they have a specific person named on the warrant, but that person doesn’t live there, or they might have lived there five years ago and don’t live there anymore.”
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An ICE spokesperson said the search warrant and location were issued by a judge and they do have guns drawn until they can secure the space for everyone’s safety and then they are holstered.