Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been transferring detained immigrants from the continental U.S. to the Honolulu Federal Detention Center since the summer.
Neribel Chardon, a senior staff attorney with the Hawaiʻi nonprofit The Legal Clinic, recently represented a 23-year-old client. He was bounced between Florida, Louisiana, California, and Hawaiʻi — all within a month.
His mother had a hard time reaching him, and he lost his legal representation when he was transferred to the Honolulu FDC.
Separation from resources and support, Hawaiʻi's geographic isolation and lack of Spanish-speaking attorneys are some of the main concerns about the transfers for American Civil Liberties Union's Hawaiʻi immigration rights attorney Leilani Stacy.
A full text version of this story will be available later today.
