Fellows mentioned in this story: Liza Ryan Gill

From Civil Beat:

A slate of bills protecting immigrants and protestors progressed without fanfare in the state Senate Monday amidst heightened concern over the federal government’s enforcement offensive – and a lot of behind-the-scenes advocacy.

“Things have gotten so much more aggressive, and people have gotten organized,” said state Sen. Carol Fukunaga, chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs.

The committee advanced four immigration bills Monday out of a joint session with the energy and intergovernmental affairs committee.

Together, the bills would prohibit local police agencies from participating in immigration enforcement operations or from making agreements with the federal government to do so, and sharply restrict the use of masks by law enforcement officers, a measure aimed at protecting protesters, said Liza Ryan Gill, co-coordinator of the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

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