One of the world’s most active volcanoes is back in action. The Kilauea volcano at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is spewing lava once again, reports the AP, the seventh recorded episode in recent weeks. The eruption that began Dec. 23 in a crater at Kilauea’s summit has paused periodically. It resumed Monday, preceded by small, sporadic spatter fountains that continued to increase intensity to reach “sustained fountaining,” the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. Fountains on the north side are 100 to 120 feet high and feeding multiple lava streams, the observatory said, and a small fountain can be seen on the south side with a small lava flow emerging.

Each episode since Dec. 23 has continued for 13 hours to eight days, the observatory said. The pauses have lasted less than 24 hours to 12 days. The current episode will probably last 10 to 20 hours, the observatory said. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses the summits of two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The eruption is visible from many public overlooks in the park. The lava is not posing a hazard to homes or infrastructure.

(More Kilauea volcano stories.)

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown seems to be happening so quickly, legislators and immigrant advocates are scrambling to blunt its impact here in Hawaii.

The local office of Homeland Security Investigations posted photos on social media of officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Drug Enforcement Administration arresting immigrants.

The arrestees were not identified by name and the office did not say how many were arrested, but Gary Singh, an attorney for a few of them, said they had prior removal orders and had been in hiding.

“Their top priorities right now is individuals with final removal order or they have criminal convictions,” Singh said. “Once they wrap that up, there will be many different stages of different categories, I believe.”

Liza Gill, president of the Hawaii Coalition for Immigrants Rights, said the photos and the high-profile military transport deportations are an effort to intimidate immigrants and appeal to Trump’s anti-immigration base.

“The whole purpose is to create fear, is to make people feel very afraid to come out of their homes, to go to school, to go to a doctor’s office,” she said, “and I think that this new federal administration wants to showcase them looking tough, and it looks tough.”

Sandy Ma, an attorney with nonprofit The Legal Clinic, urges concerned immigrants to call the coalition or her office at (808) 777-7071 for answers about their options and rights.

“This federal administration is to drum up fear and we want to allay that concern,” she said.

Ma’s organization is offering written guidance, including small red cards to help immigrants stand up for their rights if approached by law enforcement.

“So, first of all, if ICE comes knocking on their door, they do not have to let them in their door,” Ma said. “Everyone in this country whether they are in this country with documents or without documents have constitutional rights.”

“Always stay calm. Do not run,” Ma said. “Provide them with the red card. You can contact our office for red cards.”

Although the nationwide raids are frightening, advocates are urging immigrants without authorization and their families to go about their daily lives while lawmakers are drafting laws to prevent local law enforcement collaboration with immigration, and to block raids at schools, churches or hospitals.

Hawaii Sen. Karl Rhoads, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, points out that by enforcing local laws, Hawaii law enforcement is already helping find and lead to deportation of criminals.

He also doesn’t think that the Hawaii public is as supportive of mass deportation as other states.

“It’s better that people enter the country legally, but does it really make any sense to spend all this time and energy resources money on often breaking up families and sending back people who are otherwise just doing all the jobs the rest of us don’t want to do?” he said.

Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz announced that Hawaii will receive nearly $9.8 million dollars in new federal funding from FEMA to support ongoing recovery efforts on Maui.

The funding will help Lahaina rebuild the Waiola Church, Hale Aloha Museum, the Old Lahaina Courthouse Building, and the Master’s Reading Room.

“Waiola Church is an important part of Lahaina’s history, heritage, and community,” said Schatz.

“This new funding will help us restore some of Lahaina’s historic buildings and help bring this community back.”

In December, Schatz secured an estimated $1.6 billion dollars in funding for a survivor housing project.

Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.