GOVERNOR GREEN STATEMENT ON LAWSUIT CHALLENGING HAWAIIAN HOMES PROGRAM

News Release from Office of the Governor, June 3, 2026

HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green today issued the following statement regarding a federal lawsuit challenging the eligibility requirements within the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act:

“The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was established to address the historic dispossession of Native Hawaiians and reflects a longstanding commitment to them by both the federal government and the state of Hawaiʻi,” said Governor Green.

“This lawsuit threatens that commitment. I have directed the Department of the Attorney General to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program. We will fight this lawsuit with everything we have.

Our administration stands firmly with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the thousands of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who rely on this program and its promise for future generations.”

Attorney General Anne Lopez issued the following statement:

“The state of Hawaiʻi has both a legal and moral obligation to uphold the commitments embodied in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. This lawsuit seeks to dismantle a program that has provided opportunities, stability and hope to generations of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.

Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes, who has extensive experience handling complex constitutional litigation on behalf of the state, will lead our legal team in defending this challenge. We are prepared to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program and the promises it represents.”

Under the Green administration, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) has accelerated the delivery of homestead opportunities and expanded pathways to homeownership for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries. In 2025 alone, DHHL offered more than 2,500 lease awards and continues to advance major housing projects, including Hale Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, which will provide 278 affordable rental units for beneficiaries. These efforts reflect the administration’s commitment to reducing wait times, strengthening Native Hawaiian communities and fulfilling the promise of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.

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BACKGROUND: Lawsuit Challenges DHHL as 'Race-Based'

Why This Suit Will Fail: Supreme Court ruling shields Hawaiian Homelands and ceded lands revenue (2009)

RELATED: Kamehameha Admissions:  Without Affirmative Action Defense, Who Needs Victimology? (2025)