New Hampshire activists are celebrating the federal government’s decision not to pursue an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in the state.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte made the announcement after what she said were “productive discussions” with the Department of Homeland Security, which had plans to convert an industrial warehouse in Merrimack into a regional processing center with up to 600 beds.
Grace Kindeke, director of projects at the New Hampshire Center for Justice and Equity, said she is proud of the local residents who pushed back.
“When we say we don’t want these facilities, we don’t want concentration camps in our backyard, we absolutely mean it,” Kindeke emphasized. “We will make sure that they do not continue to operate.”
Documents show the warehouse was part of DHS’s $38 billion master plan to grow detention capacity to more than 92,000 people nationwide. It is the only New England location listed in ICE’s expanded detention model.
Opposition to the Merrimack facility began in December after Ayotte and local officials said they were unaware of ICE’s plans in the state. Multiple protests ensued as residents raised concerns over lost tax revenue and environmental impacts, along with the health and safety of those inside.
Kindeke added while she is pleased the protests worked, people are still being wrongly detained.
“This energy and this win really just powers us up for the next round of struggle that we have to continue to be in because our people and our loved ones are still being taken,” Kindeke pointed out. “They’re still being disappeared into the system.”
New Hampshire is the only New England state where local law enforcement agencies have signed formal agreements to engage in immigration enforcement. At least 13 agencies and the state police are now authorized to arrest and process people for deportation. The state’s congressional delegation has introduced legislation to prevent the federal government from opening new immigration detention centers without the local community’s written approval.
Local activists claim victory as ICE cancels NH warehouse plan was originally published by The Public News Service and is republished with permission.
Featured Photo: Passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” ensured Immigration and Customs Enforcement has enough funding to operate upwards of 135,000 detention beds through the end of FY 2029, according to the American Immigration Council. (Adobe Stock)