KAHULUI, Hawaii — A U.S. citizen said that she and more than a dozen other people were held against their will by federal immigration agents outside of a home in Kahului on Tuesday, May 7.
The noise she heard at the door around 6:15 a.m.
The Maui teacher said, “When I woke up, agents in black standing outside my window with guns pounding on the door and telling me to ‘open up.’ They said they had a warrant.” “When I opened the door just a crack and asked if they were from ICE, they rushed past me with guns drawn and said they were looking for a convicted felon,”
The teacher didn’t want to be named. She said she kept telling the agents she was a U.S. citizen and living with teachers who were here legally on visas. They asked her to show them proof with the right paperwork.
She said, “I was turned away because I saw them point their guns and lead the other teachers, including me, down the stairs.” After getting out of the shower and getting ready for school, she said half of them were taken outside with only blankets and wet hair.
She said that 12 other teachers lived in the house with their families and kids.
“I noticed that some people around me were shaking and that one of the teachers’ daughters who was in front of them was crying. This made me very worried, so I asked again, this time in a gentle way, if we could show them ID to prove who we were.” “And once more, I was told no,” she said.
She said she could show her U.S. visa after about 45 minutes. The Maui teacher said, “He was shocked and apologized several times.” After being freed, all the teachers and family members rushed to get to school on time for the day.
She asked the owner if the agents had a warrant when she got home from work. That’s what the owner told her after the fact. They were looking for a man who had lived there more than a year before.
“But while they were searching the house and while I was standing outside with them, I told them over and over that we were teachers, that they had proof of who they were, that they were legally in the U.S., and that I was a citizen as well.” Could you please look at our paperwork? Because I don’t think the person you’re looking for is here, so I did ask over and over again, and I was told no until I think they realized that person wasn’t there and that they had made a mistake.
“It was a very stressful and upsetting experience for everyone involved, but I felt I had to speak out because I thought it could have been handled better. I don’t want that to happen again with teachers who are here legally to help our children,” the teacher said.
A man was caught after two people were allegedly raped in Kakaako.
That the teachers are officially in the U.S. is because of the J-1 Visa program run by the U.S. Department of State. This program lets foreign teachers work in U.S. schools to make up for the ongoing teacher shortage.
The Hawaii State Teachers Association said that no public apology was made for the harm done to the teachers. They think that this will make people less likely to want to join the program in the future.