Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

Hawaii House Bill HCR185

Introduced
3/16/26  
Refer
3/18/26  
Report Pass
4/2/26  
Refer
4/2/26  
Report Pass
4/9/26  
Engrossed
4/9/26  

Caption

Urging All County Planning And Permitting Agencies To Deny All Permit Applications Related To The Construction, Expansion, Or Use Of Warehouses By United States Immigration And Customs Enforcement For The Purpose Of Detaining Individuals Facing Deportation.

Summary

HCR185 is a House Concurrent Resolution that urges all county planning and permitting agencies in Hawaii to deny any permit applications tied to the construction, expansion, or use of warehouses by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when those warehouses would be used to detain people facing deportation. The resolution frames these proposed facilities as large-scale immigration detention sites and cites reports that ICE intends to use newly appropriated federal funds to acquire warehouses for this purpose. The measure is nonbinding and does not itself change state law or create a new permitting standard. Instead, it expresses the Legislature’s position and asks county planning and permitting departments in Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai to reject related applications. Its practical effect would be political and administrative pressure on county agencies to use existing local land-use and permitting authority to block ICE detention warehouse projects.

Impact

Because HCR185 is a concurrent resolution, it does not amend statutes, create penalties, or directly regulate ICE. Its impact would be indirect: it seeks to influence county-level planning and permitting decisions regarding warehouse construction, expansion, or use for immigration detention. If acted on by counties, it could affect land-use approvals, development timelines, and the feasibility of locating detention facilities in Hawaii, but any actual legal effect would depend on existing county and state permitting laws and how local agencies respond.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution is strongly opposed to ICE detention warehouses. The bill’s findings describe the facilities as dehumanizing, inconsistent with due process, and contrary to Hawaii’s values of dignity and respect for all people regardless of immigration status. No committee discussion or vote record is provided, so there is no evidence of recorded support or opposition beyond the text itself; however, the resolution clearly signals a sympathetic stance toward immigrants and a critical stance toward federal detention expansion.

Contention

The main point of contention is the use of warehouses as large-scale immigration detention centers and whether county governments should cooperate with or facilitate such projects through permitting. Supporters of the resolution would likely emphasize human rights, family separation, access to counsel, and local health and safety concerns, while opponents could argue that counties should not obstruct federal immigration enforcement or that the resolution exceeds the proper role of local land-use agencies. The measure also raises broader tensions between state/local values and federal immigration policy.

Companion Bills

HI HR175

Same As Urging All County Planning And Permitting Agencies To Deny All Permit Applications Related To The Construction, Expansion, Or Use Of Warehouses By United States Immigration And Customs Enforcement For The Purpose Of Detaining Individuals Facing Deportation.

Previously Filed As

HI HCR205

Urging The County Of Maui And The United States Army Corps Of Engineers To Prioritize And Expedite The Planning, Funding, And Construction Of A Permanent Replacement For The Kulanihakoi Bridge.

HI HR197

Urging The County Of Maui And The United States Army Corps Of Engineers To Prioritize And Expedite The Planning, Funding, And Construction Of A Permanent Replacement For The Kulanihakoi Bridge.

HI SCR82

Urging The County Of Maui And The United States Army Corps Of Engineers To Prioritize And Expedite The Planning, Funding, And Construction Of A Permanent Replacement For The Kulanihakoi Bridge.

HI SCR158

Urging The President Of The United States, And All Members Of Any Current And Future Administration, To Abide By The Laws Of The United States Of America, Including By Complying With Orders Issued By The United States Courts.

HI SR65

Urging The County Of Maui And The United States Army Corps Of Engineers To Prioritize And Expedite The Planning, Funding, And Construction Of A Permanent Replacement For The Kulanihakoi Bridge.

HI SB161

Relating To County Permitting And Inspection.

HI SCR127

Urging The President Of The United States To Not Defund Law Enforcement In The State.

HI SR106

Urging The President Of The United States To Not Defund Law Enforcement In The State.

HI HB761

Relating To County Permitting And Inspection.

HI HCR130

Urging Congress, The Counties Of The State, And Other Relevant Agencies To Provide Increased And Sustained Funding To The Invasive Species Committees And Hawaii Ant Lab Within The Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit Of The University Of Hawaii At Mnoa.

Similar Bills

HI HR175

Urging All County Planning And Permitting Agencies To Deny All Permit Applications Related To The Construction, Expansion, Or Use Of Warehouses By United States Immigration And Customs Enforcement For The Purpose Of Detaining Individuals Facing Deportation.

MT HB549

Allowing for distillery warehouse receipts

NJ A4370

Requires DCA to establish optional certification courses for planning professionals on development of warehouses and high-density buildings.

CA SB34

Air pollution: South Coast Air Quality Management District: mobile sources: Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

WA HB2207

Concerning warehousing of alcohol.

CT HB05505

An Act Concerning The Use Of Certain Commercial Warehouses For The Housing Or Shelter Of Persons.

HI SB2389

Relating To Warehouse Workers.

HI HB1791

Relating To Warehouse Workers.