Civil Beat Staff

Jeremy Hay

Jeremy Hay covers economic inequality for Honolulu Civil Beat.

He started in journalism in 1992 at The Tenderloin Times in San Francisco, covering city government, homelessness and nonprofits. He comes to Civil Beat from The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, Calif., where since 2001, he reported on immigration, local politics, business and, most recently, homelessness and social services. At The Press Democrat, he was on a team that won a George Polk award for reporting on globalization; he has also won two Associated Press Fairbanks Public Service awards and Best of the West awards for writing and explanatory reporting. He was a 2015 JSK Journalism Fellow at Stanford University.

He enjoys cooking with a wok, exploring Hawaiʻi and spending time with his family. You can reach Jeremy at 808-978-6605 and jhay@civilbeat.org.

Anti-ICE Masking Bills In Hawaiʻi Doomed After Court Ruling Bryan Cox/ICE via AP/2017

Anti-ICE Masking Bills In Hawaiʻi Doomed After Court Ruling

Advocates and lawmakers are pressing forward on other bills to limit police cooperation with immigration enforcement.

Aging Hawaiʻi: 60,000 More Housing Units Needed By 2050 Will Bailey/Civil Beat/2026

Aging Hawaiʻi: 60,000 More Housing Units Needed By 2050

New report projects population trends will lead to increased demand for affordable housing for kūpuna and says that departures of younger residents are creating a hole in the workforce.

Hawaiʻi Drivers Say Uber AI is Shortchanging Them Craig Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Hawaiʻi Drivers Say Uber AI is Shortchanging Them

Fed up with declining pay, drivers try and organize politically, seek lawmakers’ help.

Locked Up Too Long? Legal Tactic Challenges Hawaiʻi ICE Detentions Craig Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Locked Up Too Long? Legal Tactic Challenges Hawaiʻi ICE Detentions

Big jump in “habeas corpus” petitions in Honolulu mirrors nationwide trend, a reflection of climbing ICE activity under the Trump administration.

Fatal Work Accident Spurs Hawaiʻi Immigrant’s Widow To Fight Back

Fatal Work Accident Spurs Hawaiʻi Immigrant’s Widow To Fight Back

An undocumented Chinese warehouse worker faced safety hazards at a Honolulu job site that a lawsuit says cost him his life after 87 weeks in the hospital.

Immigrant Protection Bills Advance In State Senate Bryan Cox/ICE via AP/2017

Immigrant Protection Bills Advance In State Senate

Bills would prohibit collaboration between local police and federal immigration authorities, outlaw most masks for law enforcement officers

Frightening North Shore Floodwaters Forced Hundreds To Flee Craig Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Frightening North Shore Floodwaters Forced Hundreds To Flee

Oʻahu rescuers used paddleboards and kayaks, Jet Skis and backhoes to evacuate residents around Waialua and Haleʻiwa

North Shore Oʻahu Farmers Search For Answers In The Kona Storm Wreckage Jeremy Hay

North Shore Oʻahu Farmers Search For Answers In The Kona Storm Wreckage

Farmers spent Saturday wading through their properties, trying to pick up the pieces from crops and livestock lost during torrential rains, flooding and high winds this week.

ICE Concerns Spur Maui’s Move To Sever Ties With Feds Hawaii News Now/2020

ICE Concerns Spur Maui’s Move To Sever Ties With Feds

Worried about immigration actions across the nation, the Maui County Council voids longtime local partnership between its police and the FBI.