State senator denounces expanded federal travel ban slated to go into effect New Year’s Day

The federal government recently announced an expansion of a travel ban to an additional 20 countries, including Tonga.

The expanded ban — set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2026 — restricts who can travel or immigrate to the United States.

Oʻahu state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole says they represent yet another harmful and discriminatory federal policy targeting communities of color, specifically speaking out about Tonga being on the list.

“I strongly denounce the inclusion of Tonga on this list,” said Oʻahu state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, chairman of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, in a press release.

The state lawmaker said Hawaiʻi has deep genealogical, cultural and familial ties to Tonga and the greater Pacific region.

The decision to place Tonga on a federal travel ban list unjustly targets Pacific Island communities and sends a chilling message to Polynesians abroad and in Hawaiʻi.

Beyond restricting lawful travel, these federal actions further embolden Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, practices that disproportionately impact communities of color — expanded enforcement authority enables racial and ethnic profiling based on appearance, language, occupation or location.

“This policy opens the door to broad based racial profiling of all Pacific Islanders and is deeply troubling,” Keohokalole said.

The consequences of such policies are not hypothetical.

Keohokalole said Hawaiʻi already experienced the trauma of aggressive immigration enforcement, including an ICE raid on Maui during which 10 Filipino teachers working legally were temporarily detained.

A teacher who is a U.S. citizen was also temporarily detained.

These actions instilled fear throughout immigrant communities and disrupted families, schools and workplaces.

“The expansion of the travel ban is as a political distraction, diverting attention from real homeland security concerns like human trafficking, drug smuggling and organized crime,” Keohokalole said.

Singling out Tonga is unjustified and deeply offensive to the people of Hawaiʻi, the state lawmaker said, where Polynesian identity is foundational.

“We reiterate our call for compassion, fairness and respect for human dignity in federal immigration policy,” Keohokalole said. “We urge the federal administration to immediately rescind these bans and pursue immigration policies that reflect America’s values of equality and justice.”