Immigration law in the United States generally includes the rights and obligations of persons who are not U.S. citizens to temporarily visit or more permanently reside in the U.S.—and for federal and state governments to enforce immigration laws regarding visitors and residents.
Most immigration law consists of federal statutes and regulations—but many state laws impact both legal and illegal immigrants—including employment checks, E-Verify, law enforcement, driver's license requirements, public benefits restrictions, and more.
In Hawaii, as in all U.S. states, immigration law is primarily governed by federal statutes and regulations, as the authority to regulate immigration is a federal power. This includes laws pertaining to visas, green cards, asylum, deportation, and citizenship. State laws in Hawaii may impact immigrants in various ways, but they cannot contradict federal immigration laws. For example, Hawaii may have policies regarding the issuance of driver's licenses to immigrants, employment verification checks, and eligibility for state public benefits. Hawaii does not have its own immigration enforcement laws but state law enforcement may cooperate with federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under certain circumstances. It's important to note that while states like Hawaii can create welcoming policies for immigrants, they cannot create their own immigration statuses or provide legal status to undocumented immigrants.