44 Arrested in Kauai Immigration Raids, Federal Authorities Confirm

(KAUAI, HAWAII) Forty-four people were arrested in coordinated immigration raids across Kauai on November 5, 2025, after federal agents executed six search warrants at several residences and one business before dawn and into the late morning. The operation, which began at approximately 4:00 a.m. and continued until shortly after noon, swept through Upper Kapahi, Līhuʻe, and Kalaheo, and involved a large presence of federal officers who used loudspeakers, tactical entries, and a visible show of force that startled a quiet, rural community. Two of those taken into custody were identified by authorities as suspected associates of the Venezuelan terrorist organization Tren de Aragua.

Federal agencies involved spanned Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the DEA, ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations, the U.S. Coast Guard Station Kauai Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, and the IRS-Criminal Investigative Division, alongside other federal partners. The scale of the operation was clear to residents who woke to the sound of commands over megaphones and the sight of agents moving in formation along narrow residential roads.

Kauai County Councilmember Fern Holland said the size and intensity of the response were unlike anything she had seen in her Upper Kapahi neighborhood.

“It’s a rural area, and so I could hear steps in the street. So I walked outside, and I realized immediately that there was like an entire army of people. There was probably 20 or 30 agents walking up the street.”

She said agents used megaphones to call residents outside, repeating commands for an extended period in English and Spanish.

“They repeated the street address over and over and then said federal warrant, come out with your hands up. They did that for what felt like forever, but I think it was 10, 15 or 20 minutes, and then they also did it in Spanish.”

The immigration raids focused on several locations tied to a group of migrants, many of whom appeared to work for a cleaning company, according to Holland. She observed multiple people being handcuffed on her street as officers moved building by building. The commotion cut through the early morning quiet, with dogs barking and unmarked vehicles idling as agents surrounded targeted homes. The sound of tactical breaching echoed in the area.

“It sounded like somebody wasn’t coming out and they had to blow their way in,” she said, adding that neighbors retreated behind gates and doorways as the operation intensified.

By midday, 44 arrests had been made, reflecting both the scope of the investigation and the concentration of suspects on the island. Investigators said two of the individuals taken into custody were suspected associates of Tren de Aragua, a violent criminal organization from Venezuela cited by authorities in recent months as spreading beyond South America. No further details were released about the two suspects. The names of those arrested have not been disclosed, and federal officials have not yet provided charging documents or a breakdown of the alleged violations behind the arrests. As of November 6, local officials said the operation was ongoing and that additional information could follow from the federal agencies leading the case.

Holland said the heavy law enforcement presence and loud commands disrupted families in the area, including small children who watched from windows and porches as agents surrounded homes.

“It was traumatic for all those who were involved, including young children.”

She described the normally quiet stretch of Upper Kapahi as transformed for several hours, with convoys of federal vehicles and groups of agents moving with the same cadence and purpose typically seen in large urban raids rather than on a rural island road.

The Kauaʻi Police Department, which was not part of the operation, sought to clarify its role after calls from residents.

“KPD is not involved as this is a federal-led operation,” said Tiana Victorino, the department’s public information officer.

The distinction highlighted how responsibility for immigration enforcement and related search warrants rests with federal agencies, even when actions unfold on local streets in tight-knit communities like Upper Kapahi and Kalaheo.

Authorities said those arrested on Kauai were transported off island shortly after the operation concluded. The U.S. Coast Guard flew detainees to Oʻahu, where they were taken to the federal detention center for processing. The decision to move the group by air underscored both the number of people taken into custody and the need to centralize detention and processing on Oʻahu, where federal facilities are located. Officials did not provide a timeline for initial court appearances or explain whether immigration proceedings, criminal charges, or both would be pursued, leaving families and employers in limbo as the cases advance.

Residents described hearing repeated announcements from megaphones, with officers cycling through the same commands in two languages as the morning wore on. Holland said the officers’ insistence on stating the street address and the phrase “federal warrant” made clear they were targeting specific properties. The English and Spanish commands also suggested agents expected a multilingual audience, aligning with Holland’s observation that most people detained appeared to be migrant workers tied to a local cleaning business. She said she saw agents leading people out in handcuffs, many still in sleepwear or casual work clothes, as neighbors stood back and filmed from a distance.

The presence of eight federal agencies signaled a complex operation that likely blended immigration enforcement with other federal priorities, including potential financial or maritime elements given the participation of the IRS-Criminal Investigative Division and the U.S. Coast Guard Station Kauai Investigative Service. The NOAA Office of Law Enforcement’s role was not explained, but its involvement indicated collaboration across agencies with overlapping investigative authorities in Hawaii. Homeland Security Investigations and ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations are typically central to immigration raids of this type, while the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals Service often support operations that may involve criminal networks, narcotics, or fugitive apprehensions. Federal officials did not specify whether weapons, documents, or other evidence were seized during the six search warrant executions.

For families in Upper Kapahi, the early hour compounded the shock. Residents described being awakened before sunrise by the crunch of boots on gravel and the clipped commands over loudspeakers, followed by sudden flashes and bangs consistent with tactical breaching tools. Holland said it felt like agents were on her doorstep within moments. She watched as teams stacked outside a residence and then moved in after repeated warnings were ignored. While she could not see inside, the force of the blasts and the speed of the entry suggested urgency and a refusal by occupants to comply.

By late morning, the convoys were gone, leaving quiet streets and unanswered questions. Employers on Kauai may feel the ripple effects if, as Holland observed, many of those taken into custody worked for a cleaning company. With 44 arrests in a single day, the sudden absence of workers could disrupt schedules across businesses and homes that rely on contracted services. Families, meanwhile, faced the immediate aftermath of separation, with loved ones transferred to Oʻahu and limited information about what would come next. No local shelters or community organizations were identified in the immediate response, and federal officials offered no guidance on how relatives might seek updates.

The use of megaphones in both English and Spanish was one of the few deliberate signals to the public about the nature of the operation. It made clear that agents were attempting to secure compliance without forcing entry, but it also amplified the fear for neighbors, especially children who were getting ready for school as the immigration raids escalated down their street. Holland’s account of hearing the same message repeated for up to 20 minutes, and then the sound of breaching, underscored the tension residents felt while watching events unfold from their driveways and windows.

Federal agencies have not released a statement outlining next steps. In past operations of similar size, agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have provided updates on charging decisions, removal proceedings, or criminal referrals in the days following arrests, and have sometimes coordinated with consulates for detainee notifications. As of Thursday, no such details had been made public on Kauai. Officials also did not say whether more arrests were expected or if additional search warrants were pending elsewhere on the island chain.

The lack of names or specific charges leaves key questions unanswered, including how many of the 44 arrests relate to immigration status violations versus other alleged offenses, and how the two suspected associates of Tren de Aragua fit within the broader investigation. For now, the operation’s impact is most visible in the places where agents gathered before sunrise, in the doorways where residents watched, and in the sudden quiet left behind after helicopters and transport vehicles carried detainees off island. Holland’s description conveyed both the precision and the disruption:

“It’s a rural area, and so I could hear steps in the street,” she said. “It was traumatic for all those who were involved, including young children.”

As investigations continue, Kauai residents are bracing for more information and possible follow-up actions. The day after the 44 arrests, Upper Kapahi’s streets were still, but neighbors traded accounts of the agents’ arrival and the moment the megaphone warnings began. The Kauaʻi Police Department’s stance remained unchanged —

“KPD is not involved as this is a federal-led operation,” Victorino said — underscoring that any further developments will come from federal authorities. For the families and employers touched by the raids, the next news may arrive not from a local precinct but from a federal detention center on Oʻahu, where the cases now move behind secure doors and scheduled interviews.