The invention relates to a process for removing hydrogen halides from hydrocarbon-containing streams. More particularly, the invention relates to a process and an HCl sorbent for the removal of HCl and other hydrogen halides from hydrocarbon streams to prevent the formation of green oils. The sorbent has an increased capacity for the sorption of HCl and a reduced catalytic activity for the formation of green oils which, surprisingly, results from the pre-loading of water on a sodium promoted alumina adsorbent. The pre-loading of water on the sodium promoted alumina adsorbent in the range of about 5 to about 11 percent of the essentially water-free adsorbent increases the HCl sorption capacities by about 25% with a corresponding decrease in catalytic reactivity.