The first week of President Donald Trump’s second administration has sparked concerns among Hawaii’s four congressional delegates, who worry that his promised efforts to reshape the U.S. government could have far-reaching implications for the state.

U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda told the Honolulu Star-­Advertiser that the people in Hawaii might believe the state’s isolation in the middle of the Pacific shields it from the impact of Trump’s actions, but she emphasized that the policies “100% do” affect Hawaii.

In the first few days of Trump’s presidency, he already had signed over 50 executive orders, adding to the 220 he signed during his first term. The orders span a range of issues, including social justice, environmental policy, public health and inclusion.

She called Trump’s second term “definitely more dangerous” than his first term.

“Much of what he’s doing now, he had the intent to do during his first administration, and now he knows exactly how he wants to execute his mandates on America. He knows how to do this,” she said. “Donald Trump views this as a one-person government.”

Trump is attempting again to end birthright citizenship, a legal right enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that grants citizenship to anyone born in the United States, mirroring a previous proposal during his first term. On Thursday a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order, which was set to take effect Feb. 19.

Tokuda noted that in Hawaii, as in other states, it is a challenging time, particularly for pregnant women facing uncertain legal citizenship situations, and emphasized that the state is dealing with a significant backlog in processing legal matters, such as citizenship applications or related immigration processes.

“I think it has just been absolute chaos these last few days,” Tokuda said. “In no way should we be surprised at all decisions. … When we take a look at what’s being done, we’re going backwards in terms of the rights that we’ve won for people.

“It has absolutely been chaotic. We don’t have the ability to pause, because the moment we pause amidst all of the terrible executive orders, people’s lives — people’s rights — are at stake.”

Both Tokuda and U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono did not attend Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration in Washington, D.C., while U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Ed Case did attend.

Tokuda said she preferred to stay in Hawaii and meet with her constituents, while Hirono said that although she didn’t attend, she paid attention to his inauguration remarks.

“In his inaugural speech he wanted to be known as a peacemaker and unifier, and at the same time he issued all these executive orders, particularly targeting the immigrant community,” Hirono said. “That is spreading fear all across those communities. You have immigrant parents saying to their children, ‘If we don’t come home, here’s what you need to do,’ because they could be scooped up and detained without due process.

“So much for being a unifier.”

She said Hawaii is home to about 250,000 immigrants, including agricultural workers who were born outside the country and came to Hawaii for work, and that these people could be at risk of detention.

Trump also signed an executive order directing the U.S. to withdraw once again from the Paris climate agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change.

Hawaii became the first state in the nation to pass legislation in alignment with the Paris Agreement when then-Gov. David Ige signed two bills into law in 2017: one to expand efforts to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions and another to improve soil health and promote carbon capture in the fight against climate change.

Tokuda emphasized that climate change doesn’t discriminate and that Hawaii has felt its impact firsthand, particularly along the shores.

She pointed to events like the deadly Maui wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023, which killed 102 people and destroyed an estimated 4,000 structures, mostly homes, as well as landslides, erosion and extreme weather conditions.

Hirono criticized Trump’s climate policies, claiming they are driving up the cost of food and fuel while simultaneously pushing for more “drill, baby, drill” mentality — a slogan embraced by advocates for increased oil drilling, often in environmentally sensitive areas.

She further contended that the Trump administration fails to recognize the urgent need for action on climate change, warning that these policies will undermine efforts to transition to alternative energy sources and hinder federal support for Hawaii’s goal of reaching 100% renewable energy by 2045.

Trump also signed an executive order in his first hours as president to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization.

The withdrawal from the WHO, along with Cabinet picks such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of health and human services, were described by Tokuda as “questionable” and an abdication of the responsibility that leaders have to make decisions in the best interest of the people they serve.

“(RFK Jr.) is there to do Trump’s bidding,” she said. “This is just in the first four days he has been president. Can you imagine the kind of health risk and liability we will be facing in the next weeks, months and years to come under this president and his Cabinet picks?”

Trump has defended his nominee, saying Kennedy would not be “radical” and would be open-minded in his approach to public health.

Gov. Josh Green has expressed significant concerns nationally since November about RFK Jr.’s nomination for secretary of health and human services, and once again reiterated after his State of the State speech in a media advisory with reporters that he has been “spending some energy trying to guide the Senate on whether or not to confirm their HHS Secretary nominee, Mr. Kennedy. That’s because if he is confirmed, it will affect our public health capacity in Hawai‘i.”

During a speech in North Carolina on Friday, the Republican president also criticized the Federal ­Emergency Management Agency, describing its efforts as “very bureaucratic” and “very slow,” and wanting to eliminate it.

“I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of them,” Trump said. “I think, frankly, FEMA’s not good.”

In addition to his criticisms, Trump suggested a significant overhaul of the federal government’s role in disaster response.

Trump said he wants to “see the states take care of disasters,” arguing it would be quicker than sending in FEMA, which he said “hasn’t done the job.”

Tokuda described the idea as “very disappointing” and “extremely disgusting,” strongly opposing suggestions to leave disaster response solely to the states and to impose conditions on aid.

She argued that Maui would “not have been able to recover, to even survive the devastation, had it not been for the full force of the government coming to our aid, and they are still there.

“Can you imagine if all we were told was, ‘Here’s some money, figure it out yourself’? That is essentially what the president is recommending that we do. In light of the disaster that we have seen in California continuing to happen right now, with more fires starting up, and considering what we have been through as a state, this is absolutely unacceptable and it’s absolutely un-American,” Tokuda said.

Schatz reassured Hawaii that he will stay focused on delivering for the state, emphasizing his commitment to ensuring that federal support for Maui’s recovery and infrastructure remains a top priority in Congress.

“Of course, political parties don’t always see eye to eye on everything, but Hawaii needs help and that’s my job,” Schatz said in a statement to the Star-Advertiser.

In a separate statement to the Star-Advertiser, Case said the new Trump administration and its congressional allies will bring an era of uncertainty, with unpredictability becoming the norm rather than the exception.

Case also noted that the first week of Trump’s administration has heightened concerns, especially about federal aid and assistance.

He urges state and county leaders to exercise caution in managing programs and budgets to navigate the presented challenges effectively, and emphasized that addressing such issues will require more diligent efforts and stronger collaborations.

“Hawai‘i fared fairly well under the first Trump administration, but that was a different time, partly a divided government, and took a lot of work and partnerships, and there’s no reason to assume that this time around will be the same,” he said. “As I briefed Governor Green in November and again earlier this month, and Mayor Blangiardi also in November, the greatest risks to Hawai‘i are in the billions of dollars of annual federal support to key Hawai‘i non-defense efforts like health, education, housing, the safety net for our most needy, workforce development, law enforcement, natural resources and energy diversity and resilience.”

Trump, furthermore, intends to revoke federal diversity, equity and inclusion guidelines and end DEI programs, and has ordered all federal DEI employees to be placed on paid leave starting Wednesday.

The president has argued that DEI programs actually amount to discrimination.

Hawaii’s unique demographic composition, which includes significant populations of Asian, Native Hawaiian and multiracial residents, has earned it a high diversity ranking.

In 2020 the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the state had a diversity index of 76%, making it the most diverse state in the nation.

“We, in Hawaii, celebrate diversity,” Hirono said. “This is an overt attack on diversity through whatever programs there are that support diversity or protect the diverse members.”

As a champion of Title IX protections, Hirono pointed out that Title IX, along with other laws and programs supporting minority populations — such as small business set-asides for minority groups — are all at risk of being eliminated or attacked.

These efforts, she said, provide critical opportunities for minorities in areas like government contracts and education. “I call it an assault on diversity,” she added.