HCR 48: URGING THE GOVERNOR AND MAYORS TO TAKE ACTION TO REASSURE ALL VISITORS TO HAWAII THAT THEY WILL BE TREATED SAFELY, LEGALLY, AND ETHICALLY BY ALL STATE AND COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES UPON THEIR ARRIVAL AND THROUGHOUT THEIR STAY.

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

URGING THE GOVERNOR AND MAYORS TO TAKE ACTION TO REASSURE ALL VISITORS TO HAWAII THAT THEY WILL BE TREATED SAFELY, LEGALLY, AND ETHICALLY BY ALL STATE AND COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES UPON THEIR ARRIVAL AND THROUGHOUT THEIR STAY.

     WHEREAS, the current United States presidential administration has imposed unnecessary policies authorizing federal immigration and border officials to conduct warrantless searches on travelers' mobile phones, computers, cameras, or other electronic devices during the inspection process at ports of entry to the United States; and

     WHEREAS, the current presidential administration has imposed unnecessary policies authorizing the collection of social-media handles of legal immigrants and United States citizens as well as authorized federal immigration and border officials to search through travelers' social-media history in order to find ideological dissent against the administration's agenda; and

     WHEREAS, these warrantless searches have resulted in unconstitutional denials of entry and deportation due to the finding of content that differs ideologically from the views and policies of the current presidential administration; and

     WHEREAS, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the speech of all persons, regardless of their citizenship status, and even when that speech disagrees with or may promote dissent against the existing government; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism reported that Hawaii received 176,006 foreign visitors between October 2024 and October 2025; and

     WHEREAS, many nations, such as Canada, Australia, Germany, Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Finland have issued government advisories regarding travel to the United States, thus giving the United States the reputation that it disregards the safe, legal, and ethical treatment of foreign visitors; and

     WHEREAS, the State and counties must take action to protect visitors to Hawaii from unconstitutional conduct that is inconsistent with Hawaii's values; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the Governor and Mayors are urged to take action to reassure all visitors to Hawaii that they will be treated safely, legally, and ethically by all state and county law enforcement agencies upon their arrival and throughout their stay; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Mayors of the Counties of Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii; and Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.

Report Title: 

Safe, Legal, and Ethical Treatment of Hawaii Visitors; State Law Enforcement Agencies

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

urging the governor to take action to reassure all visitors to hawaii that they will be treated safely, legally, and ethically by all state law enforcement agencies upon their arrival and throughout their stay.

     WHEREAS, the current presidential administration has imposed unnecessary policies authorizing federal immigration and border officials to conduct warrantless searches on travelers' mobile phones, computers, cameras, or other electronic devices during the inspection process at ports of entry to the United States; and

     WHEREAS, the current presidential administration has imposed unnecessary policies authorizing the collection of social-media handles of legal immigrants and United States citizens as well as authorized federal immigration and border officials to search through travelers' social-media history in order to find ideological dissent against the administration's agenda; and

     WHEREAS, these warrantless searches have resulted in unconstitutional denials of entry and deportation due to the finding of content that differs ideologically from the views and policies of the current presidential administration; and

     WHEREAS, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the speech of all persons, regardless of their citizenship status, and even when that speech disagrees with or may promote dissent against the existing government; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism reported that Hawaii received 176,006 foreign visitors between October 2024 and October 2025; and

     WHEREAS, many nations, such as Canada, Australia, Germany, Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Finland have issued government advisories regarding travel to the United States, thus giving the United States the reputation that it disregards the safe, legal, and ethical treatment of foreign visitors; and

     WHEREAS, the State must take action to protect its visitors from unconstitutional conduct that is inconsistent with Hawaii's values; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the Governor is urged to take action to reassure all visitors to Hawaii that they will be treated safely, legally, and ethically by all state law enforcement agencies upon their arrival and throughout their stay; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor.

Report Title: 

Safe, Legal, and Ethical Treatment of Hawaii Visitors; State Law Enforcement Agencies