Over the past few months, numerous community members from the Oʻahu Rapid Response Coalition have attended meetings and submitted testimony to the Honolulu Police Commission to ensure that public safety remains the top priority in selecting the new police chief.

A central objective for our advocacy is securing a formal policy: the Honolulu Police Department must not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement actions. This is not a matter of politics; it is about public trust — something the HPD pledges to rebuild after years of scandal.

Under the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement — which includes an aggressive daily arrest internal quota of 3,000 — many in our community live in constant fear. Anyone can be targeted. While the administration claims to go after “the worst of the worst,” roughly 70% of those detained have no criminal record.

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Enforcement actions have rounded up and deported undocumented individuals as well as green card holders and others with lawful status. Even U.S. citizens have been detained. Conditions at immigration detention centers have been reported to be harsh and inhumane. Consequently, community anxiety runs deep. People worry not just for themselves, but for their family members, neighbors, patients, students, customers and fellow congregants.

In response to these well-grounded fears, community members united to form the O‘ahu Rapid Response Coalition. Driven by volunteers, the coalition operates a hotline to monitor, document and respond to immigration enforcement across O‘ahu, holding federal agents accountable. We remain vigilant in case the lawlessness, civil rights abuses and police misconduct that have devastated mainland cities like Minneapolis and Chicago take root here.

This is precisely where the leadership of the next HPD chief becomes critical. Reliable research and policing best practices consistently demonstrate that communities become less safe when people fear contacting local police. This fear skyrockets when local officers double as immigration agents.

Furthermore, collaborating with federal immigration enforcement is a poor use of Honolulu’s resources; it diverts limited HPD personnel and funding away from local safety and toward federal mandates. Cooperation with federal immigration enforcement also exposes the City and County of Honolulu to the potential of civil lawsuits. 

Of the three finalists for HPD chief, only one candidate truly understood these dynamics: David Lazar, whom the commission wisely selected as the new chief. Lazar clearly, unequivocally, and pragmatically stated that under his leadership, HPD will not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

In contrast, Mike Lambert — the perceived frontrunner backed by the police union, the mayor and much of O‘ahu’s political establishment — was the only candidate who refused to make that commitment. On the May 14 broadcast of “PBS Insights,” Mr. Lambert defended his stance by arguing that because 20% of the local population voted “conservative,” their views on ICE should shape policy.

This statement remains profoundly troubling. It injects partisan politics into the administration of public safety. HPD policy cannot be based on the political views of the population; it must be grounded in what is lawful, what preserves public trust and what keeps the entire community safe. Lambert’s comments raised serious doubts about his judgment — concerns that have only deepened as he appears to be engaging in a public campaign to undermine incoming Chief Lazar.

The Honolulu Police Commission made the right choice. Lazar is the leader HPD needs to usher in an era of greater public trust. His commitment to prioritizing community safety over partisan politics demonstrates the wisdom, judgment and integrity required to repair a troubled department. We trust the officers of the HPD, their union and the mayor will fully support him in these efforts.