🛑 ACLU Tell Maui Make Dem Stop Di Homeless Sweeps Sharp Sharp
⬇️ Pidgin ⬇️ ⬇️ Black American Slang ⬇️ English
Di people wey dey fight for human rights for obodo America, wey dem dey call American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Hawaii, don enta one heavy gbege with Maui County. Dem don carry pen write ogbonge letter give dem say make dem no try am move people wey no get house for where dem dey cool off for county parks near where fire don scatter tins for Lahaina.
Di ACLU yarn say make Maui County officials press brake for di plan wey dem get to send homeless people wey dey stay for county-owned lands make dem waka comot. Na true say dis kain action fit be like say e dey help clean the place, but di ACLU dey see am say na big wahala e go cause for people wey fire don already do yawa tins to dem life.
As e be so, around like 40 people wey no get shelter don find small corner for public beach parks for Lahaina side, where Hanakaoo and Wahikuli parks dey. Some of dis people na before di fire scatter tins dem don dey homeless, while some na di fire come turn dem to person wey no get where to lay head. You go see people wey run leave their shoe sake of fire, some na for bathroom dem hide, others na inside water dem jump to dodge wahala, and some na dem even help plenty people make dem no loss during di ogbonge bad fire wahala.
Di koko wey ACLU dey point be say, all these people don suffer wella because of di Lahaina fire, and di trauma still dey hot for their body, no place at all at all to crash.
ACLU yarn say di so-called “Lahaina Sweeps” suppose happen on Wednesday wey just waka pass. Dem talk say make Maui County no do am, because e go shake di constitutional rights of di many homeless people wey no get any choice than to stay for public space after fire don finish their place.
Di letter wey ACLU send give Maui County, e carry foto-foto wey show di notice wey dem wan use do di sweeps: one kind orange paper wey talk say vacate — na Maui County Department of Parks and Recreation Enforcement Section na im distribute am — and dem post am or give am to homeless people for Hanakaoo Beach Park.
ACLU come dey argue say this kind homeless sweeps fit dey against law wey say no to “cruel or unusual punishment” for Hawaii Constitution and the U.S. Constitution Eighth Amendment.
On Wednesday, Mahina Martin wey be di head of talking and public affairs for Maui County, talk say dem don stop the notice to vacate.
She talk say, “We stop am, we no go further,” when she dey yarn with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser for phone. “E no mean say di problem don vanish.”
She talk say di reason why dem hold break na partly because of di ACLU letter. “Certainly, di ACLU don show us some very important tori,” she talk put.
Martin still yarn say di plan to relocate homeless people comot for county property na because dem dey think about the Maui community welfare.
She talk say, “Sometimes we dey address di worry wey neighborhoods and business people get, dem dey ask us for help.” Dis kain help na for things wey be like blocked road, people wey no dey behave well, public defecation, and where dirt don too much.
Maui County try make dem get where people wey no get house fit stay if dem wan accept help, she add join.
Martin talk say di work involve mayor office, Department of Housing and Human Concerns, Maui Police Department outreach unit, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Environmental Management and Public Works.
She yarn say, “We dey face one kind situation for West Maui where people wan enjoy their West Maui parks with their family dem and for their own fun, dem dey ask make the County enforce the no camping rules.” Di badness wey disaster cause don make situation tough but dem dey try help both the people wey wan enjoy Lahaina parks as dem dey recover from the last kasala and those wey no get house and also need help.”
Di ACLU’s letter talk say even before the disaster, to find where homeless people go fit sleep for Maui County na war. And now, after the fire, the matter don turn to something else as many people don join the homeless geng because of the fire wahala.
And to top the wahala, di fire don burn down one big shelter wey dem call Ka Hale a ke Ola, wey dey for Lahaina side. E mean say the few beds wey dey before for emergency shelters for island don full pass mark.
ACLU dey hope say Maui County go
find better way to settle this matter wey no go cause more pain for the people wey life don already show pepper wella.
NOW IN BLACK AMERICAN SLANG
ACLU Steps Up to Pump the Brakes on Maui Homeless Sweeps 🛑
The ACLU of Hawaii is clapping back at Maui County with a big ask: they want the powers that be to cut out the eviction of homeless folks who’ve been chilling at county parks hit by them Lahaina wildfires.
The crew at the ACLU laid it out straight: Maui County’s got to stop moving folks with no homes from the spots they’ve been posted up in. It’s deeper than just keeping the peace; it’s about the upheaval of folks who already got knocked down hard by the disaster.
Around 40 people without roofs over their heads have been calling the public beach parks near Lahaina home, places like Hanakaoo and Wahikuli parks. This group’s got people who were already out here struggling before the fire hit, and others who got rocked by the blaze. We’re talking about people who had to book it from the fire with nothing but the shirts on their backs, some who had to duck for cover wherever they could find it, and some who even had to dive into the ocean to get clear.
The ACLU’s got a point, though: all these people, they share something heavy—they all got slapped hard by the Lahaina fire. They’re still trying to shake off the trauma, and straight up, they got nowhere else to bounce to.
Now, the ACLU’s calling out the county’s move as the “Lahaina Sweeps,” something that was supposed to go down on a Wednesday not too long ago. The word is, going through with this plan would be stepping on the constitutional rights of a whole lot of homeless folks who got no other place to post up since the fires tore through their lives.
The ACLU wasn’t just talking smoke; they showed up with photo evidence in their letter to Maui County, showing off these orange papers—the notices to vacate that the county was handing out to the homeless at Hanakaoo Beach Park.
The ACLU isn’t playing; they’re saying these sweeps are likely bumping up against Hawaii’s Constitution and even the U.S. Constitution, talking about ‘cruel or unusual punishment.’
Come the next Wednesday, Mahina Martin, the head honcho of communications and public affairs for Maui County, confirmed they put a stop to those vacate notices.
“We stopped it, we didn’t proceed with it,” Martin shared with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. But she kept it 100, saying, “It doesn’t mean the issue doesn’t go away.”
She gave props to the ACLU for shedding light on some major points, and that’s part of why they put a pin in it.
But peep this: Martin mentioned that the goal to move the homeless folks wasn’t just for kicks; it was all about looking out for the whole Maui family.
“We were handling things, dealing with complaints from folks in the neighborhoods and businesses that were reaching out for help,” Martin stated. They were trying to get a handle on things like blocked walkways, wild behavior, folks taking care of business out in the open, and trash everywhere.
The county has been on its hustle, trying to line up places and support for those ready to take that help, she added.
The plan involved a whole squad: the mayor’s office, housing and human concerns department, the community outreach unit of the police department, parks and rec, environmental management, and public works.
“We’re facing a situation in West Maui where residents who want to use their parks for family time and some R&R have been asking for the county to enforce the no-camping rules,” Martin said. It’s all about balancing the needs of those trying to heal from the disaster with the needs of those without homes who need a helping hand.
The ACLU dropped some hard truths, too, talking about how even before the fire hit, the shelter situation in Maui County was tight. And now? It’s even worse. The fire straight-up annihilated the Ka Hale a ke Ola’s 78-unit Westside Center in Lahaina, and that’s just making the shelter crisis hit even harder.
Even with emergency shelters trying to step up, the spots for folks to crash are maxed out. In other words, the shelters are stuffed, leaving mad people with no place to roll to.
The ACLU’s hoping Maui County will come up with some fresh plans that don’t add insult to injury for these people who are already down on their luck.
NOW IN ENGLISH
ACLU Urges Maui to Immediately Halt Homeless Sweeps 🛑
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Hawaii is in a tense standoff with Maui County officials, after issuing a stern letter demanding a halt to the displacement of homeless individuals from county parks devastated by the Lahaina wildfires.
The ACLU insists that the Maui County’s plan to move people without homes from the public lands they currently occupy should cease. The argument is not only about maintaining order but also about the potential turmoil for individuals already afflicted by the disaster.
An estimated 40 unsheltered individuals have made temporary homes in the public beach parks around Lahaina, including Hanakaoo and Wahikuli parks. This group includes individuals who were without homes before the fire and those who have since lost their residences. Among them are those who fled the flames barefoot, sought refuge in bathrooms, jumped into the ocean to escape, and helped others survive the tragic event.
The ACLU emphasizes that the commonality among these people is their direct impact by the Lahaina fire, the ongoing trauma they face, and the stark reality of having nowhere to go.
The ACLU has labeled the planned action as the “Lahaina Sweeps,” which were set to take place on a recent Wednesday. They argue that proceeding with these sweeps would infringe upon the constitutional rights of many homeless individuals who, after the fires, have been forced to live in public spaces.
In the letter to Maui County, the ACLU included photographs showing the notices to vacate, an orange-colored paper issued by Maui County’s Department of Parks and Recreation’s Enforcement Section, which was either posted in the area or handed directly to the homeless individuals at Hanakaoo Beach Park.
The ACLU’s argument further contends that the sweeps likely violate the prohibition on ‘cruel or unusual punishment’ as outlined in Article 1, Section 12 of the Hawaii Constitution and the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
On the following Wednesday, Mahina Martin, the director of communications and public affairs for Maui County, confirmed that the notices to vacate had been stopped.
“We stopped it, we didn’t proceed with it,” Martin conveyed to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “It doesn’t mean the issue doesn’t go away.”
She acknowledged that the ACLU’s letter played a part in this decision, noting the important points it raised.
Despite this pause, Martin noted that the intention to relocate homeless individuals is in consideration of the broader community in Maui.
“In some instances, we addressed concerns from neighborhoods and businesses who sought our assistance,” Martin said. These interventions were in response to escalating public health and safety conditions such as blocked pathways, disorderly conduct, public defecation, and excessive littering.
The county has been proactive in securing placement and support services for those willing to accept help, she added.
The coordinated efforts include the mayor’s office, Department of Housing and Human Concerns, Maui Police Department’s community outreach unit, Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Environmental Management, and Department of Public Works.
“We are dealing with a situation in West Maui where residents desiring to use their parks for family and recreational purposes have requested that the County enforce the existing no-camping rules,” Martin explained. The aftermath of the disaster has presented challenges in supporting both the residents who wish to enjoy their parks as they recover from recent events and the homeless who also require support.
The ACLU’s letter highlights that even before the disaster, the availability of shelters in Maui County was dire. The situation has since worsened, with the fire exacerbating the shortage of available shelter space.
The complete destruction of the Ka Hale a ke Ola’s 78-unit Westside Center in Lahaina only added to the crisis. Even with the efforts to establish emergency shelters, Maui’s shelters have reached or exceeded capacity. In short, shelters are full, leaving many without a place to turn.
The ACLU hopes that Maui County will seek an alternative approach that avoids further traumatizing the affected individuals or worsening the conditions for those who are already facing severe hardships.
