About Clare
Clare Hanusz was a dedicated immigration attorney based in Honolulu, Hawaii — She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law in 1999. After graduation, she worked with various nonprofits and law firms before founding Aloha Immigration in June 2017. The firm, located at 1050 Queen Street, Suite 100, Honolulu, HI 96814, specializes in family-based immigration and naturalization services. Throughout her career, Hanusz represented numerous clients before the immigration court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Her expertise encompassed naturalization, adjustment of status (Green Cards), U visas for victims of certain crimes, T visas for victims of human trafficking, consular processing, waivers of inadmissibility, asylum, special immigrant juvenile status, employment-based and religious worker visas. Options for immigrant survivors of domestic violence. In addition to her legal practice, Hanusz was actively involved in several professional organizations. She served as the Chair of the Hawai‘i Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and was a member of the National Lawyers Guild’s National Immigration Project. She was also a founding member of the Hawai‘i Coalition for Immigration Rights and the Hawaii Coalition for Civil Rights. Her commitment to immigrant justice extended to her work with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Hawai‘i.
She partnered to litigate motions to suppress in immigration court and served on the ACLU of Hawai‘i Litigation Committee. Hanusz's dedication to public service was evident through her volunteer work. She was honored by the ACLU of Hawai‘i for her contributions at the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Pro Bono Celebration in 2017. She also volunteered as an attorney for citizenship workshops organized by Local 5 Union in 2018 and 2019. Her advocacy extended to public school issues, serving on the board of Parents for Public Schools-Hawaii. In 2020, Hanusz was diagnosed with breast cancer but continued her advocacy work despite her health challenges.
She passed away in February 2023 at the age of 54. In her honor, an endowed scholarship was established at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa’s William S. Richardson School of Law to benefit students pursuing a career in immigration law. Hanusz's legacy is marked by her unwavering commitment to immigrant rights, her extensive legal expertise, and her compassionate service to the community. Her contributions have left a lasting impact on the legal field in Hawai‘i and continue to inspire those dedicated to justice and equality.
