What We Do

For the past twenty-six years, the Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center (“HIJC”) has served Hawaii’s indigent immigrant population.  Hawaii has the third largest immigrant population per capita in the United States according to the 2000 Census.  In Honolulu County, the immigrant population is even larger – more than 1 in 5 Hawaii residents are immigrants.  The top five largest immigrant populations in Hawaii are all from Asian countries – Philippines, China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

HIJC's mission is to advance the human rights of immigrants, including victims of domestic violence, victims of human trafficking, and abandoned and abused children.  Initially, HIJC only provided legal assistance to impoverished immigrants.  However, in recent years, HIJC has expanded its services to include outreach, prevention, and case management services to immigrant victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.  Ongoing education to the community and service providers has allowed HIJC to better inform the community and to advocate on issues important to immigrants.