Honolulu County Chair Testimony in Opposition to SB-2290

News Release from Honolulu County GOP, February 5, 2018

Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs

RE: SB-2290 Federal Immigration Enforcement; Law Enforcement Agencies; United States Customs and Border Protection; United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Dear Chair Nishihara, Vice Chair Wakai, and Committee Members,

The Honolulu County Republican Party STRONGLY OPPOSES SB-2290.

Hawaii citizens welcome people from all nations, races all cultures who enter our country legally and support the freedoms, principles and language of the United States of America.  America and by extension Hawaii is a stronger and better because of the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of legal immigrants.

The Honolulu County Republican Party believes that the most fundamental function of government is to keep its citizens safe and their property secure.  The implementation of SB-2290 would make our legislature as well as our local law enforcement officers culpable in the commission of a Federal crime for failing to cooperate with an investigation under 8 U S. C. § 1373.

SB-2290 will facilitate and encourage illegal immigration. It is unfair to legal immigrants, who waited in line, followed the rules and showed respect for our laws. Our citizens and legal immigrants deserve better than this.

We are a Nation and State of Laws, and you were elected and took an oath to support and defend those laws, as well as protect the citizens of this State. SB-2290 is in opposition of your constitutional duties.

Furthermore, the Department of Justice requires that most recipients of federal grant money certify their compliance with all federal laws.   SB-2290 would jeopardize those grants depriving our local law enforcement agencies from thousands of dollars in grant money, which could limit their ability to protect and serve, putting Hawaii citizens in harm’s way.

Finally, we believe the Hawaii Law Enforcement Community not only has a right, but has a duty to work with their federal law enforcement counterparts, in any and all areas that protect the interests of our state and our citizens.  The function of law enforcement is to enforce the duly enacted laws of our state and our nation. SB-2290 violates this function.

Respectfully,

Brett Kulbis

Chairman

Honolulu County Republican Party