Transcript Highlights:

• people who've been granted Say, for example, withholding of removal, which is where someone has a deportation
• , that they are, because of the circumstances and their home country, they can't be deported back to
• If I understand what you just said on your previous question, was that they have a deportation status
• And so, there are people who have permanent, or I'm sorry, outstanding orders for their deportation,
• but it's been determined by an immigration judge that their deportation cannot be affected back to their

Bills: SB2030 , SB1926 , SB2170 , SB2151 , SB2166 , SB1213 , SB1381 , SB1824 , SB1876 , SB1728 , SB1582 , SB1286 , SB1386 , SB1708 , SB1618

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: expungement, record sealing, criminal records, clean slate, automatic expungement, expedited expungement, criminal history, OSBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, deferred judgment, delayed sentence, pardon, pardon and parole board, law enforcement records, sealed records, arrest records, conviction records, reclassification of felony to misdemeanor, reentry, second chance

Transcript Highlights:

• individuals off the streets to detain them in concentrated mass detention camps, breaking up families, deporting
• individuals off the streets to detain them in concentrated mass detention camps, breaking up families, deporting
• Not cooperating with secret police to detain and arrest and kidnap and deport people, but to cooperate
• c><00:24:05.120><c> and</c><00:24:05.360><c> kidnap</c><00:24:05.760><c> and</c><00:24:06.000><c> deport
• </c> detain and arrest and kidnap and deport detain and arrest and kidnap and deport people, people,

Summary: Witnesses and lawmakers discussed the impact of “Operation Metro Surge” and related federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, describing it as a severe constitutional and humanitarian crisis. John Beler of the ACLU of Minnesota said the organization had received more than 700 reports of constitutional violations and argued the state should protect sensitive spaces, create legal remedies, and limit state involvement in federal surveillance and enforcement. Sen. Erin Maye Quade and other speakers said the operation was still ongoing, caused family separations, economic harm, and trauma in communities, and called on Minnesota Republicans to break with the Trump administration and support accountability. Several business owners testified about direct effects on restaurants and construction workforces. Hano JD Delgado, a restaurant owner, said ICE activity had frightened workers, led to closures and lost business, and recounted alleged mistreatment of employees and himself, including detentions and an incident involving a 15-year-old U.S. citizen. Sarah Lawitch, a Cottage Grove contractor, said her crews and projects were disrupted because workers feared leaving home and that lawmakers should protect constitutional rights and local businesses. Speakers repeatedly framed the issue as racial profiling and an attack on legal residents and citizens, not just undocumented immigrants. Rep. Lee Fininky said she is carrying two bills aimed at federal and local law enforcement practices: one would prohibit officers from wearing masks on duty except for limited safety or health exceptions, and another would require vehicles used to detain people to be clearly marked and equipped with safety features. She and other DFL speakers also discussed a broader package of bills, including a proposal to let Minnesotans hold the federal government accountable and a bill requiring the BCA to investigate shootings. In response to questions, they said they were seeking Republican support but expected the measures to face legal challenges; no votes or formal committee action were taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• YOU AND WHEN YOUR CHARGES ARE RESOLVED THEY WILL BEGIN AS THEY CALL IT REMOVAL OR SHORTHAND IS DEPORTATION
• PRISONS, WHY DON'T WE GRAB 1000 OR 2000 OF THE WORST CRIMINALS THAT ARE IN STATE PRISON RIGHT NOW AND DEPORT
• THEY NEED BEDS TO HOLD THESE CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS UNTIL THEY CAN DEPORT THEM.
• IT'S ALL FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEPORTATION.
• CRIMINAL ALIENS AND WHAT SHERIFF GAULTIERI SAID, MURDERERS, RAPISTS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DEPORTED AND

Transcript Highlights:

• state after illegally entering the country or who entered the state after previously having been deported
• , denied admission, or otherwise deported from the country under specified conditions.
• He wants more badges, more detention beds for criminals awaiting deportation, and more bad people removed

Summary: The Florida Senate convened in special session with an opening prayer and pledge, then the Secretary read the joint proclamation calling the session. The proclamation stated the session was called to address immigration-related legislation, including measures to coordinate with federal immigration enforcement, create a state immigration board, restrict benefits for undocumented immigrants, create offenses related to non-citizen voting, strengthen detention and bail rules, require identification in state interactions, and provide funding and penalties related to enforcement and officials. The Senate read the filed bills first time: SB 2C and SB 4C, both relating to immigration, and SM 6C, a memorial urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance and training for 287(g) agreements. The President and several senators discussed the immigration package, emphasizing support for President Trump’s immigration agenda, funding for law enforcement, and cooperation with the governor and House. The President also condemned threats and violent rhetoric directed at Commissioner Simpson and his family, and Senator Pizzo echoed concerns about threats and urged senators to discourage inflammatory social media behavior. The Rules Chair announced the Appropriations Committee would meet the next day, and the Senate adopted motions waiving rules to place SB 2C, SB 4C, and SM 6C on the special order calendar for Thursday, with an amendment deadline tied to the Appropriations Committee meeting. Another motion sent bills filed outside the call to the Rules Committee for review. Senator Burgess recognized USF Health medical and resident students in the gallery. The Senate then adjourned until Thursday, February 13, or upon the call of the President.

Transcript Highlights:

• When people fear that an interaction with police will lead to deportation, when due process is blatantly
• state and local law enforcement into using their limited resources to help ICE find more people to deport
• This bill turns every interaction with police into potential deportation.
• ICE is not deporting the worst of the worst. They are going door to door in Mesa, demanding papers.
• They are deporting people regardless of status and shooting people like you and me on the streets.

Bills: SB1055 , SB1065

Committee: Senate Military Affairs and Border Security

Keywords: immigration enforcement, law enforcement, illegal aliens, state legislation, civil penalties, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, veterans, military health, mental health treatment, funding allocation

Transcript Highlights:

• an update made by the Department of Homeland Security in December, the Trump administration had deported
• , DHS estimates that another 1.9 million illegal immigrants voluntarily left the country by self-deporting
• that e-verify is one of, if not the most effective measures in accomplishing the goal of self deportations
• direct law enforcement like that which allows local and state law enforcement to work with IC on deportation

Bills: HB3725 , HB3260 , HB3660 , HB3369 , HB3370

Committee: House Business

Keywords: labor, e-verification, immigration, employers, employment eligibility, Department of Labor, penalties, funeral licensing, continuing education, Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association, professional development, licensing requirements, HB3660, natural organic reduction, human composting, soil reduction, green burial, funeral services, cremation, burial permit

Transcript Highlights:

• My systems of harm was when my father was deported back to Belize at my two months of living.
• My father was deported back to Belize at my two months of living.
• Her father was deported at two months old, so what can we do with her?
• That's the only thing that stopped me from getting deported. Another thing that they tried...
• Deportation, we'll leave that alone. And I want to say I was out of school for maybe like a month.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color held its first meeting of the session at the Youth Justice Coalition’s former courthouse space in Los Angeles, after members spent the morning visiting Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. Chair Isaac Bryan framed the hearing around hope and healing, youth justice reimagined, youth perspectives, and multisector supports for boys and men of color. Several members, including Assembly Members Mike Fong, Mia Bonta, and Jasmeet Bains, emphasized the need to repair harms from mass incarceration, reverse underinvestment, and expand education, apprenticeship, and community-based opportunities. The first panel featured advocates from the Young Women’s Freedom Center, Students Deserve, the Social Justice Learning Institute, the California Youth Justice Project, and the Youth Justice Coalition. They argued that probation and incarceration are harmful, costly, and ineffective, and pointed to alternatives such as the Liberation Fund, Beloved Village, the Department of Youth Development, Measure J-funded community programs, and the Black Student Achievement Plan. Speakers described successful efforts to divert money from policing to restorative justice, counseling, mentorship, ethnic studies, and other supports, while warning that these gains are under attack or slow-walked by county systems. Committee members asked for concrete examples of cost-effective alternatives and implementation models that could be replicated statewide. The second panel was made up entirely of youth and young adults with lived experience. They described how Hoops for Justice, the Young Women’s Freedom Center, and the Youth Justice Coalition provided safety, mentorship, sponsorship, counseling, internships, education, and leadership opportunities that probation did not. Testimony focused on the need for youth-centered spaces, long-term jobs, mental health care, family support, and staff who understand lived experience. Speakers also criticized probation’s training and conditions in juvenile facilities, and several said the state should invest more in community-based organizations and put youth in leadership roles. Committee members responded that the testimony underscored the need to divest from probation and elevate youth voices in policymaking. The hearing then moved toward a third panel on supporting boys and men of color across sectors.

Transcript Highlights:

• And finally, the governor would not be able to deploy the National Guard for immigration deportation
• </c><00:42:46.760><c> activities</c> immigration deportation activities immigration deportation activities
• would just frankly say Mass deportation would just frankly say Mass deportation is<00:43:06.440><c> contrary
• He removed that part on line 32, where it says mass deportation of immigrants.
• Is he potentially just removing that mass deportation of immigrant section?

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 180, which concerns critical incident stress management teams. Representative Mark PR, the bill sponsor, proposed an amendment to add a definition of “team leader” and to clarify that teams may or may not be affiliated with a municipality. He argued that a certification test offered by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation is unnecessary and too expensive at $400, since team members are volunteers who already receive training and continuing education. Committee members asked about the training structure and certification language, and the sponsor explained that the teams are self-certified and that the amendment was intended to clean up the bill’s language. The committee then voted on HB 180 in executive session. Amendment 0261H was adopted 11-0, and the bill was then moved as amended and passed 11-0. The committee placed the bill on consent. Later, the committee heard House Bill 438, sponsored by Representative Timothy Horan, dealing with immigration detention and related state policy. Horan described the bill as an update to earlier legislation and said it would codify best practices, prohibit state cooperation with mass deportation efforts, bar for-profit operation of immigration detention facilities, and require Executive Council approval before the governor could deploy the National Guard for immigration deportation activities. Committee members questioned whether the bill could be read as authorizing detention facilities and discussed the relationship between the state and Strafford County Jail. An amendment presented on behalf of Representative Patrick Long was described as a technical rewrite that removed several sections and changed language, but the hearing ended before any vote was taken on HB 438.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1444, deportation task force appropriation. SB 1448, aggravated assault utility workers.
• something was wrong, and that's when her friend opened up and said he was taken and is now facing deportation
• for something like this, when our parents, our co-workers, our friends are being disappeared and deported

Transcript Highlights:

• cover when somebody is being transported in any capacity in a vehicle or even when they're being deported
• He was being deported, made it to the plane, but the airline made a decision not to...
• People would rather be deported than stay in that place, fighting for their right to stay in this country
• People would rather be deported than stay in that place, fighting for their right to stay in this country
• My question is, what would happen to detainees if they get assaulted by staff and then get deported within

Summary: The committee heard staff briefings and sponsor testimony on four bills. House Bill 2310 would elevate fourth-degree assault with a finding of sexual motivation to a Class C felony after two prior qualifying convictions within 10 years, with discussion focused on when sex-offender registration would apply and whether the bill would capture repeat conduct that is often pled down. The sponsor said the bill responds to a constituent’s experience and is intended to increase accountability for repeat offenders. Testimony was split: prosecutors and law enforcement supported the bill as a practical way to address repetitive sexual-motivation assaults, while defense advocates warned it would trigger major sex-offense consequences, including registration, prison time, immigration consequences, and possible sentencing disproportionality. No vote was taken and the hearing was held open. House Bill 1239, the reentry readiness bill, would increase earned release time to up to 33.33% for eligible offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026, make certain enhancements eligible for earned release time, create a two-year peer-support pilot for incarcerated survivors of sexual violence and intimate partner violence at the Washington Corrections Center for Women, and require victim-notification materials about sentencing changes. The sponsor and supporters said it would improve reentry, reduce recidivism, and better prepare people for release, while the Sentencing Guidelines Commission said it aligns with prior recommendations for consistency in earned release. Prosecutors opposed the bill, arguing it mainly shortens sentences rather than improving reentry and could reduce accountability. The hearing remained open. House Bill 1228 would allow blood and breath toxicology testing to be considered valid if performed by a lab certified under ISO/IEC 17025, in addition to current state toxicologist methods. The sponsor and several local officials said Washington’s toxicology backlog is causing long delays, sometimes over 300 days, which slows charging decisions and can allow repeat DUI behavior before cases are filed. Supporters said private accredited labs could provide a local option and speed results, while defense advocates asked for discovery protections if outside labs are used. County and law enforcement representatives supported the concept but cautioned against shifting costs to counties and creating unequal access based on local resources. The sponsor indicated an amendment would remove out-of-state labs and add a five-year report-back. House Bill 2464 would require private detention facilities to report serious incidents such as abuse, neglect, deaths, suicides, injuries requiring hospitalization, and service disruptions to the Department of Health and local law enforcement within one business day, and would require annual reporting by law enforcement on calls and follow-up actions. The sponsor said the bill is aimed at transparency and ensuring that incidents in private detention facilities are not hidden. Testimony from advocates, journalists, and researchers described alleged abuse, suicides, hunger strikes, fires, and barriers to reporting at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, and said the bill would improve public access to information. Law enforcement representatives said the bill affects only two agencies and urged the committee to consider the cumulative burden of reporting mandates and the public-trust implications of involving local agencies in federal detention issues. The hearing on this bill was also held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you've been deported previously, removed previously, an immigration judge has gone through the whole
• And then once we would release it, then we would call ICE to then pick them up to deport.
• The barcode is... release it, then we would call ICE to then pick them up to deport.
• They need places, they need beds to hold these criminal illegal aliens until they can deport them.
• It's all for the purpose of deportation. They need...

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The Appropriations Committee took up SB 2B, a major immigration bill by Senator Gruters, described by supporters as a Trump-aligned package to strengthen Florida’s role in immigration enforcement. The bill would create a grant program for local law enforcement, expand jail-ICE agreements beyond sheriff-operated jails, establish a chief immigration officer and a state immigration enforcement council, require more coordination on E-Verify and detention-bed reporting, allow immigration status to be considered in bail decisions, increase penalties for certain offenses tied to illegal reentry and voting, and repeal in-state tuition waivers for undocumented students. Much of the sponsor’s presentation and debate emphasized focusing on criminal offenders, improving coordination with federal authorities, and using state resources to support detention and enforcement. Committee questioning focused heavily on the tuition-waiver repeal, reimbursement for jail costs, E-Verify coverage, and whether the bill could lead to street-level immigration enforcement in schools or churches. Senator Smith, Senator Pizzo, Senator Polsky, Senator Sharief, and others challenged the tuition repeal as unfair to students who were brought to Florida as children and argued for grandfathering current students or studying the fiscal impact first. Senator Fine defended the repeal as ending a state subsidy for people who are not lawfully present and argued the change would save tens of millions of dollars. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri testified that the bill was limited to jail-based enforcement, said there was no current street-level 287(g) program in Florida, and stated he did not believe the bill raised concerns for law enforcement or schools/churches. A representative of the Florida Supervisors of Elections supported the voting-related section, while a Florida Highway Patrol representative said state agencies would need additional funding if they were expected to take on more enforcement duties. The committee adopted Senator Gruters’ late-filed amendment correcting a drafting error. Senator Smith’s amendment to require an OPAGA study on the tuition-waiver policy was withdrawn after discussion, and his handwritten amendment to delete the repeal of in-state tuition for undocumented students failed on a roll-call vote. The bill then advanced as amended, with several members speaking in debate both for and against it. Supporters framed it as a focused public-safety and enforcement measure; opponents criticized the special-session process, the cost, and the tuition repeal’s impact on students already enrolled.

Transcript Highlights:

• What is the goal of the Trump administration with regard to the numbers of deportations annually?
• Do you know the number of deportations on a daily basis in Texas?
• And this measure... ...detaining, prosecuting, and deporting criminal illegal aliens.
• Those individuals must be apprehended, identified, prosecuted, and deported. It is incumbent...
• Prosecuted and deported, it is incumbent to maintain the sovereignty of our state and the protection

Bills: SB27 , SB1494 , SB2121 , SB2373 , SB2431 , SB1 , SB8 , SB12 , SB13 , SB15 , SB30 , SB37 , SB260 , SB268 , SB331 , SB379 , SB441 , SB447 , SB457 , SB568 , SB650 , SB763 , SB1405 , SB1506 , SB1540 , SB1566 , SB1610 , SB1637 , SB1660 , SB2018 , SB2024 , SB2217 , SB2308 , SB2337 , SB2601 , SB2753 , SB2878 , SB2900 , SB2972 , SB3059 , HB4 , HB40 , HB46 , HB 119 , HB145 , HB300 , HB493 , HB705 , HB1545 , HB2011 , HB2017 , HB2067 , HB2516 , HB2885 , HB2963 , HB2974 , HB3071 , HB3372 , HB3556 , HB3595 , HB3642 , HB3909 , HB5138 , HB5246 , SJR36 , SJR50 , SJR63 , SCR12 , SCR39 , SB2023 , SB62 , SB666 , SB847 , SB284 , SB854 , SB810 , SB1505 , SB583 , SB507 , SB1434 , SB1772 , SB2016 , SB1122 , SB731 , SB397 , SB508 , SB1436 , SB287 , SB1882 , SB393 , SB1791 , SB209 , SB2429 , SB1085 , SB1975 , SB2717 , SB1262 , SB636 , SB2056 , SB884 , SB1200 , SB1845 , SB2458 , SB801 , SB3014 , SB3013 , SB758 , SB2797 , SB2076 , SB2876 , SB1640 , SB1449 , SB1181 , SB1234 , SB2926 , SB2841 , SB1528 , SB1854 , SB317 , SB1250 , SB2082 , SB1237 , SB2819 , SB629 , SB2608 , SB1602 , SB2009 , SB867 , SB640 , SB1698 , SB2680 , SB913 , SB1071 , SB1086 , SB1087 , SB1483 , SB1444 , SB1553 , SB1556 , SB1703 , SB2133 , SB2297 , SB2298 , SB2622 , SB2955 , SB2334 , SB1367 , SB2044 , SB2363 , SB2565 , SB1888 , SB3036 , SB3057 , SB3043 , SB3063 , SB3035 , SB203 , SB2688 , SB2522 , SB2459 , SB2655 , SB2251 , SB1884 , SB2928 , SB2566 , SB2549 , SB2553 , SB2919 , SB1944 , SB1232 , SB1798 , SB2603 , SB2607 , SB2683 , SB1319 , SB3045 , SB3071 , HB796 , HB1523 , HB5294 , HB748 , HB3395 , HB180 , HB3171 , HB146 , HB5596 , HB5694 , HB 1135 , HB3225 , HB186 , HB1449 , HB3793 , HB 112 , HB 104 , HB3336 , HB3520 , HB3320 , HB5663 , HB2399 , HB 111 , HB3483 , HB4580 , HB3748 , HB632 , HB4730 , HB5690 , HB5689 , HB3385 , HB4359 , HB5381 , HB 123 , HB5606 , HB 1057 , HB3664 , HCR141 , HCR40 , HCR59 , SR634 , SR687 , SR703 , SR709 , SR715 , SB1494 , SB2121 , SB2373 , SB2431 , HB46 , SB1 , SB8 , SB12 , SB13 , SB15 , SB37 , SB260 , SB331 , SB379 , SB441 , SB447 , SB457 , SB568 , SB763 , SB1405 , SB1540 , SB1566 , SB2018 , SB2308 , SB2337 , SB2878 , SB3059 , HB705 , HB2017 , HB2067 , HB3071 , HB3372 , HB3556 , HB3595 , HB3909 , HB5246

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation and then took up several conference committee matters and resolutions. It granted the House request for a conference committee on House Bill 46 and adopted a conference report on Senate Bill 37, which was described as higher education governance reform, including stronger board authority, changes to faculty senates, general education requirements, and a new ombudsman office. Senators also adopted a large package of resolutions and HCRs by voice vote. A major focus was Senate Bill 12, the “Parental Bill of Rights,” whose conference report was adopted after extended questioning. The bill was described as giving parents more access to school materials and grievance procedures, requiring parental consent for student clubs, and restricting school district employees from assisting with social transitioning or related gender-identity instruction. Senators raised concerns about effects on students already socially transitioned and on parental rights in medical or psychological decisions; the author said the House language was retained in key areas and that districts would need policies and parent notification. The report passed 20-11. The Senate then adopted a resolution allowing the conference committee on Senate Bill 1, the state budget for fiscal years 2026-2027, to go outside the bounds, and later adopted the budget conference report. Senators highlighted major funding for public education, property tax relief, public safety, health and human services, child care, water and transportation infrastructure, and the Texas Energy Fund. The budget discussion also covered higher education, mental health facilities, community attendant wages, rural hospitals, DFPS case management, child care assistance, and a study rider on TRS. The report passed unanimously, 30-0. Finally, the Senate suspended rules to take up Senate Bill 8 and adopted its conference report. The bill requires counties with jails or jail contracts to participate in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program, with sheriffs choosing among available models and counties receiving tiered grants to help cover costs. Supporters framed it as a public safety measure targeting criminal illegal aliens, while opponents questioned whether it would divert local resources and increase fear in immigrant communities. The report was adopted after debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Two American citizen children, one four years old and one seven years old, were deported to Guatemala
• Her youngest, the four-year-old, has late-stage cancer and was deported without medication.
• the government has forced the mothers to either leave the children behind or have their children deported
• Under normal circumstances, U.S. citizens cannot be deported, and they’re entitled to due process and
• I'm glad that you'd also disagree with the plain use of ICE power and deporting people.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills. AB 416 would allow emergency room physicians to initiate 5150 mental health holds, with supporters saying it would reduce emergency room bottlenecks and speed care for patients in crisis. County and behavioral health representatives opposed the bill, and some members raised broader concerns about the 5150 system and juvenile placements. The bill was ultimately approved on a do-pass as amended vote. AB 446, the Surveillance Pricing Act, drew extensive testimony. The author and supporters argued it would prohibit businesses from using personal data to charge different prices for the same product or service, describing the practice as discriminatory and exploitative. Business and industry groups opposed the bill, warning that its language was too broad, could affect discounts and loyalty programs, and would create litigation risk through a private right of action. After discussion about enforcement and possible amendments, the bill passed on a do-pass motion. AB 632 would give local governments a faster way to collect penalties for serious code violations, including unsafe housing, fire hazards, and illegal cannabis activity, by allowing certain fines to become money judgments and clarifying lien authority. It had support from county and city groups and no opposition was voiced in the hearing; the bill passed as amended. ACA 7, a constitutional amendment intended to clarify and limit misuse of Section 31A, also moved forward after brief support testimony. The committee then took up AB 649, which would extend protections for businesses that proactively obtain certified access specialist inspections and fix accessibility violations; the author, a small business owner, and others testified in support, while disability rights groups moved to neutral after amendments. Members discussed the balance between access enforcement and reducing predatory litigation, and the bill was still under consideration as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Detaining, prosecuting, and ultimately deporting criminal aliens from the United States.
• We need to, as a state, be much better at identifying, detaining, prosecuting and deporting criminal
• In fact, President Obama at one point... was called the Deporter-in-Chief.
• I don't want them to be deported, I want them to go to prison. That's where I want murderers to be.
• first, then deported if they commit those types of crimes.

Keywords: HCR65, HCR19, Senate resolutions, memorial, community impact, legislative proceedings

Summary: The recent Senate meeting primarily covered two resolutions, HCR65 and HCR19, both of which were passed unanimously with little to no opposition. HCR65 was introduced in memory of Tracy Lee Vincent of Longview, while HCR19 was presented to honor the late Terrell Lynn Roberts of Angleton. The meeting included brief addresses from several senators, who shared personal reflections on the impacts of the individuals being honored and expressed gratitude for their contributions to the community. This collaborative atmosphere showcased the members' capacity for camaraderie and respect, emphasizing the importance of human connection in legislative proceedings.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, it really doesn't deportations.
• And the deportation process can be very quick.<00:53:19.480><c> I</c><00:53:19.520><c> can</c><00:53
• </c> and then deported. and then deported.
• ,<00:53:45.120><c> which</c><00:53:45.320><c> is</c> deportations, which is deportations, which is not
• And they're going to be deported.

Bills: HCR13 , HCR61 , HCR136 , HCR185 , HCR155 , HCR68 , HCR174 , HCR178 , HCR179 , HCR91 , HCR103 , HCR115 , HCR199 , HR15 , HR128 , HR175 , HR147 , HR62 , HR164 , HR168 , HR169 , HR83 , HR95 , HR107 , HR189

Committee: House Water & Land

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land met on March 31, 2026, and heard testimony on several resolutions. HCR 13/HR 50, which asks DLNR to work with DOE and the Public Charter School Commission on a student coral stewardship program, drew comments from DLNR, which said it stood on written testimony and had proposed amendments, and from supporters in the room. HCR 61, urging investment in reforestation policies, workforce, nursery capacity, and related support for public and private lands, received strong support from DLNR and multiple testifiers, including members of a reforestation policy hui, a resident, and others who emphasized watershed protection, flood and fire resilience, and the need to upgrade nursery infrastructure and staffing. Committee members asked questions about nursery modernization, staffing, island-specific needs, and whether reforestation could reduce wildfire impacts; the DLNR witness said all islands need investment, with especially large opportunities on Hawaiʻi Island, and that healthier forests improve resilience though they cannot eliminate climate-related risks. The committee then heard HCR 136/HR 128 on wildland-urban interface safety standards for Maui plantation towns, but no one testified. It also heard HCR 185/HR 175, which urges denial of permits for ICE detention-related warehouses; Chris Coffey of Immua Alliance testified in support, saying migrant survivors of exploitation are harmed when ICE detains people and that Hawaii would not be the first place to take such action, citing examples from other states and cities. In questioning, members explored whether a local facility would keep people closer to families and services or instead increase local detention; Coffey said detention generally cuts off access to services and can intensify fear, and that a local facility could incentivize more detention and make survivors less likely to come forward. Finally, the committee heard HCR 155/HR 147 supporting the Hawaii Water Safety Coalition’s Hawaii Water Safety Act. Testifiers included Allison Shapera, who described the statewide water safety plan, Hawaii’s high drowning rate, the economic and human costs of drownings, and her personal loss of her daughter in a preventable drowning; Kirsten Hermstead and Kalani Vierra of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association said the plan’s recommendations need legislative recognition to help with implementation and grant funding; and Jessamine Town Horner testified by Zoom as a co-founder and bereaved family advocate. The transcript provided does not show any votes or final committee actions on the measures discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• The ripple effects of deportation and other immigration hearings are often just as consequential on an
• Again, 11 times more likely to apply for relief from deportation, like asylum, and those that did seek
• Again, 11 times more likely to apply for relief from deportation, like asylum, and those that did seek
• I say all of that because I know that the intention was to detain and deport convicted criminals.
• <00:35:26.240><c> convicted</c><00:35:26.720><c> criminals</c> Deport convicted criminals Deport convicted

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Technology met on March 12, 2025, and heard testimony on several measures. On SB 9, the Hawaii Food Industry Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation testified in support, and there were no questions or objections. On SB 148, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs offered comments, and a member of the public testified in support of combining boxing and MMA oversight into a single combat sports commission, with amendments to preserve safety standards and separate or distinct treatment for the two sports. Committee discussion focused on whether proposed requirements were primarily safety-related or cost-related, how to handle smaller events, and whether a one-year implementation delay was necessary; the department said many safety provisions already exist in the MMA program, that it was open to continued discussion on costs, and that it needed time to combine rules and appoint new commissioners. The chair suggested possible amendments to account for event size and to reduce burdens on smaller events. The committee then heard SB 816, which drew extensive testimony on providing legal representation for immigrants in immigration proceedings. Supporters included the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, ACU Hawaii, the Refugee and Immigration Law Clinic, the Legal Clinic, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Pride at Work Hawaii, and others. Supporters argued that immigration cases can be as serious as criminal cases, that counsel is essential for due process, and that representation improves outcomes; several also emphasized the economic importance of immigrants to Hawaii. One supporter noted a suggested amendment to include training for attorneys and partners doing deportation defense and asylum work. Opposition came from a Navy veteran who argued the bill would use state resources for a federal issue, create inequities, and impose fiscal burdens. The chair noted 69 testimonies in support and 44 in opposition, and later an additional supporter brought the total to 70 in support. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided. The committee also heard SB 125, with the Department of Economic Development, the Agreed Business Development Corporation, and the Hawaii Food Industry Association in support, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii offering technical comments about complicated nested definitions in the bill. Testimony on SB 125 focused on updating the Enterprise Zone Program so local manufacturers selling directly to retail could qualify, along with value-added products and certain health-related sectors. Finally, on SB 732, the State of Hawaii Creative Industries testified with comments, raising concerns about county permit-fee waivers, implementation timing, and the bill’s lack of a carry-forward provision for the film tax credit. The witness said uncertainty in the credit was already causing productions to delay coming to Hawaii and urged stability to support the industry and local workers. The committee then moved on to additional testimony on the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• I learned yesterday that our 11th grader and her mother were deported back to their home country.
• I learned yesterday that our 11th grader and her mother were deported back to their home country.
• I learned yesterday that our 11th grader and her mother were deported back to their home country.
• I learned yesterday that our 11th grader and her mother were deported back to their home country.
• and</c><01:29:46.480><c> it</c><01:29:46.719><c> is</c> deportations are happening, and it is deportations

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• >> I think less people were deported.
• would would possibly not deportation would would possibly not happen. happen. happen.
• </c> thereafter to be deported? thereafter to be deported?
• . deportation. deportation.
• </c> no relief from deportation. no relief from deportation.

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 3123, which would treat free tuition or school-conditioned enrollment at private educational institutions as a conditional gift rather than a contractual obligation unless otherwise agreed in writing. The Office of the Governor supported the bill, and Kamehameha Schools and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools strongly backed it, saying it would protect donor intent, preserve school-ohana relationships, and help maintain tuition assistance and educational access for families. A committee member commented favorably on the unity among school organizations, and there were no objections raised before the committee moved on. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2438, which creates a civil cause of action for interference with constitutional and statutory rights through threats, intimidation, or coercion, with private and government enforcement options and protections for constitutionally protected speech. Testifiers from the Community Alliance on Prisons and a know-your-rights educator supported the measure as a civil rights protection grounded in the Hawaii Constitution. No opposition testimony was presented during the hearing, and the measure appeared to receive general support from those who testified. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 3142, which establishes offenses for dangerous and habitual dangerous intoxication and allows civil protective custody and emergency examination in lieu of arrest in certain cases. The Attorney General, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of Health, and Department of Human Services supported the bill as a treatment-oriented diversion tool for people who are dangerously intoxicated and at risk to themselves or the public. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the measure, warning it could expand police discretion, burden emergency rooms, and function as a loss of liberty without sufficient treatment resources, while committee members questioned whether the bill would simply cycle people through emergency rooms and back onto the street. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided; the chair said decision-making would occur at the end of the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 695 would allow community college students who are deported the opportunity to continue
• Deportation of students affects not just the students, but the state's economic and social progress.
• Unfortunately, when a student is deported, even if they were previously enrolled and paying in-state
• Deportation will never be the end of a student's story.
• If they get deported, then all fees, all funding—excuse me, all fees—remain the same.

Committee: House Higher Education

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee heard several bills focused on student aid, affordability, and access. AB 587 would add a veteran representative to the California Student Aid Commission; the author said this would improve representation for veterans and Cal Guard members, and members discussed keeping the commission’s membership odd through a future amendment. AB 791 would revise cost-of-attendance calculations, especially housing costs, and require clearer notice to students about adjustment requests. Proponents said many schools underestimate living costs and leave students unaware of appeal options, while UC and independent colleges opposed the bill as overly prescriptive and costly, particularly the proposed housing methodology and 14-day turnaround. AB 850 would address institutional debt by giving students a one-term grace period to re-enroll while arranging payment, prohibiting credit reporting of that debt, and requiring public disclosure of collection policies. Supporters described debt as a major barrier to re-enrollment and graduation, while CSU, UC, AICCU, and others raised fiscal concerns and said campuses already use holds and payment plans; the bill passed with some members not voting and the roll left open for additional votes. The committee also heard AB 537, which would expand the California College Promise Program to part-time community college students. The author and supporters argued that most community college students attend part-time and should have access to tuition waivers, while opponents did not testify. The bill passed and the roll was left open. In addition, the committee took up AB 7, which would allow California universities to consider whether an applicant is a descendant of American chattel slavery as one factor in admissions. The author and supporters framed the measure as reparative justice and lineage-based rather than race-based, citing historical harms and the need for broader educational opportunity. Opponents argued it would function as a racial proxy and conflict with Proposition 209, and they urged the committee to instead focus on individual experiences of discrimination. The transcript ends during testimony on AB 7, before any vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• an update made by the Department of Homeland Security in December, the Trump administration had deported
• , DHS estimates that another 1.9 million illegal immigrants voluntarily left the country by self-deporting
• that E-Verify is one of, if not the most effective measures in accomplishing the goal of self-deportations
• direct law enforcement like that, which allows local and state law enforcement to work with ICE on deportation

Bills: HB3725 , HB3260 , HB3660 , HB3369 , HB3370

Committee: House Business

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 3725, as amended by a PCS, which would require employers statewide to use E-Verify or a federal equivalent when hiring new employees. The author argued the bill would help reduce illegal immigration, protect wages and jobs for lawful workers, and impose only minimal costs because E-Verify is free and quick to use. Members raised concerns about burdens on small businesses, farms, and ranches; state versus federal authority; enforcement by the Department of Labor; identity theft and false positives; possible litigation; and what would happen if the federal system went offline or changed. The author said the bill includes good-faith protections, a trigger repeal if the federal program expands, and that he would file additional language to address shutdown-related disruptions. No motion was made, and the bill remained in committee. The committee then heard and passed several other measures without opposition. House Bill 3260 would add the Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association as an approved provider for continuing education credits for funeral director license renewals, and it passed 9-0. House Bill 3660 would authorize natural organic reduction, described as transforming human remains into soil, and it also passed 9-0. House Bill 3369 would revise food truck fire code requirements by allowing portable fire extinguishers instead of an automatic suppression system and by allowing licensed plumbers, not just Oklahoma LP Gas, to inspect or install certain gas plumbing; members discussed possible conflicts with another LP gas fix and agreed to work together, and the bill passed 9-0. Finally, House Bill 3370 would extend the effective date of the food truck fire code to November 1, 2028, creating a sunset to allow more time for a broader solution. The author said he preferred another option but wanted this bill available if needed. After brief clarification, the committee passed HB 3370 9-0. The meeting ended with the chair noting there would be three meetings left in the session.