Authorities in Hawaii have detained 44 individuals suspected of being illegal immigrants during early morning raids on Kaua’i, according to federal officials. The operation, which involved multiple law enforcement agencies, targeted residences and a business on the island, with detainees transported to a federal detention center on Oahu.

Two of those arrested are believed to be associated with the foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan group designated as a threat by the Trump administration. Kaua’i County Council member Fern Holland described the raids as intense, citing loudspeakers broadcasting federal warrants in both Spanish and English. She noted that armed agents entered homes around 4 a.m., causing significant disruption in neighborhoods such as Kapa’a, Kalaheo, and Lihu’e.

Holland emphasized that no restaurants or kitchens were targeted, countering rumors circulated in the community. The raids, she stated, represented a coordinated inter-agency effort. Federal agents executed six search warrants during the operation, which has sparked concern among residents about immigration enforcement practices.