(The Center Square) — New Hampshire’s all-Democrat congressional delegation has filed a proposal that would require ICE to provide advance notice to states and local governments if they plan to build a new detention facility or center.
The Respect for Local Communities Act, filed Monday, would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to hold public hearings and get approval from state and local officials before building a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility or detention center. It would also require the Homeland Secretary to notify lawmakers.
It comes after revelations that the DHS is planning to build a immigration detention facility on a 43-acre site in Merrimack, a town located about 12 miles south of Manchester, to house immigrants awaiting deportation proceedings.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, dean of the all-Democrat congressional delegation, said the proposal stems from concerns raised by officials in Merrimack and other communities across the country that have been identified by the DHS as potential locations for ICE detention facilities as the federal government continues its mass deportation program.
“They were never consulted about ICE’s plans, and they don’t want the chaos of new detention facilities in their communities,” she said in a statement. “By requiring DHS to secure approval from state and local officials, our legislation would ensure that Americans and Granite Staters have a say in what the federal government is planning in our own communities.”
Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-NH, criticized the Trump administration for a “half-baked $38 billion campaign to commandeer industrial warehouses for the detention of human beings” without notifying local government is “a dangerous and un-American overreach” by Homeland Security.
“It is undermining our local leaders. It is eviscerating public trust. It is imperiling public safety. It is threatening economic growth. It must stop,” Goodlander said. “Our commonsense legislation will rein in this chaos by mandating the transparency and accountability that local communities across New Hampshire and America need and deserve over these decisions.”
Documents obtained by the New Hampshire Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union recently revealed that the state Division of Historical Resources was in discussions with DHS officials to begin planning for the Merrimack complex, and determine if the project was in compliance with federal historic preservation law.
Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she wasn’t initially made aware of the DHS’s plans or the state agency’s review, which prompted the resignation of Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Commissioner Sarah Stewart. Ayotte has criticized the Trump administration for a lack of communication about its plans for the facility.
Concerns about a loss of revenue from taking the land off the property tax rolls and the impact on municipal services prompted the Merrimack Town Council to approve a resolution opposing the facility. Protesters have demonstrated outside the property for weeks, according to local news reports.
Last week, members of the congressional delegation forwarded a letter to Noem from Republican state Rep. Bill Boyd outlining local opposition to the proposed Merrimack facility. Boyd said local officials have still not been contacted by ICE about the project.
“The accompanying letter details the potential negative impact this facility may have on the community’s economic development, as well as the potential strain such a facility would place upon the local economy, infrastructure, and public safety,” the delegation wrote. “We share the local concerns expressed about the project, and these concerns must be addressed.”
