No Filipino teacher arrested in Hawaii ICE raid

May 22, 2025 | 4:24pm

MANILA, Philippines — None of the Filipino teachers confronted and temporarily detained by agents of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a raid earlier this month were arrested, according to the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu. 

In a statement forwarded to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Consulate confirmed it has reached out to the affected Filipino teachers, who are legally working in several schools in Maui on J-1 non-immigrant visas.

"They informed the Consulate that none of them have been arrested and they are safe and in good condition," according to the statement sent by the DFA to reporters on Thursday, May 22.

The Consulate said it is closely monitoring the situation and remains prepared to provide appropriate assistance if needed.

On May 6, about 10 to 12 Filipino teachers in Maui were briefly detained and interviewed in their shared dwelling during a Homeland Security Investigations raid tied to an immigration case of a person who was no longer living there. 

According to a statement by the ICE spokesperson, the other residents of the house had to be temporarily detained and questioned for the "safety of the agents and the occupants." 

The experience disturbed several of the Filipino educators involved. One of the teachers spoke anonymously at a press conference about their ordeal, as quoted in a report by Hawaii News Now. 

She recounted being brought to the front of the home along with around 10 to 12 other teachers, their families and children, while several armed agents surrounded the property and stood along the street. 

Afterward, the teacher said that agents started listing names on a notepad and appeared to be relaying them by radio to someone in an unmarked van, who seemed to be confirming their identities.

“In that moment, I began to notice that some of the people around me were shaking, and that one of the teachers, daughters, who was in front was crying, and I was really concerned," she added. 

The Hawaii State Department of Education said in a statement that the educators confronted by the ICE agents are "legally employed through the U.S. State Department’s J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program, which allows qualified foreign teachers to work in the U.S. as part of a cultural and educational exchange."

The University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Hawaii has condemned the incident as a "clear act of intimidation" that targets Filipinos who have "come to Hawai'i to serve our children and enrich our communities through education and cultural exchange."

This incident is taking place against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's anti-immigrant thrust. Immediately after assuming office in January, Trump signed executive orders that expanded ICE agents' power to arrest and detain unlawful migrants in the US.

This has led to an increase in "collateral arrests," where ICE agents detain people who aren't primary targets of a raid but are found at the same location without proper work documents.

Several Filipino teachers are working in Hawai'i as part of the US government's program to address teacher shortages there. 

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