Hawaii's entire congressional delegation is standing behind Kamehameha Schools as it fights a federal lawsuit over its admissions policy. The private school system gives preference to children of Native Hawaiian ancestry.

Democratic Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono joined Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda. Together they submitted a proposed friend-of-the-court brief. They argue the school's admissions practices are protected by federal law and they are urging the judge to throw out the case.

A royal legacy

Kamehameha Schools traces its roots to the will of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last direct descendant of the Kamehameha royal line, who set aside her lands to school Hawaiian children. The school still favors applicants with Hawaiian ancestry as far as the law permits.

For many Native Hawaiian families, the schools are more than a place to learn. They are a link to language, culture and history that was nearly erased after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

How the case began

In September 2025, Students for Fair Admissions, the group behind the Supreme Court case that ended race-conscious college admissions, set up a website looking for families to sue. A few weeks later two families became the named plaintiffs. The complaint says the policy violates the rights of applicants who are not Native Hawaiian.

The lawmakers counter that a 2010 federal law lets Kamehameha Schools serve Native Hawaiians first.

A trust responsibility

In a joint statement, the four members of Congress said Washington's trust obligation to Native Hawaiians is settled and not up for argument. They pointed out that lawmakers have approved upward of 150 measures over the decades that recognize Native Hawaiians as the Indigenous people of the islands and safeguard their rights.

In their view the suit takes direct aim at the mission Princess Pauahi gave the school. The court, they said, should respect what Congress clearly meant and dismiss the case.

The judge has not yet ruled on whether to accept the brief. The outcome could shape how far Native Hawaiian programs can go in serving their own community.