By NANCY WEST, InDepthNH.org
NASHUA – State Rep. Paige Beauchemin, Democratic candidate for New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, criticized incumbent U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander Tuesday over the Dec. 24 Washington Post report that mentioned a proposed Merrimack warehouse to house immigrants for ICE.
The report drew mostly silence at first from local and state Republican officials. Gov. Kelly Ayotte still hasn’t responded to requests for comments since the report was first published. Federal officials haven’t confirmed or denied there is a plan for such a warehouse in Merrimack.
New Hampshire’s all-Democratic Congressional delegation didn’t respond to InDepthNH.org’s Dec. 26 and Dec. 30 requests for their opinions with the exception of Goodlander, whose spokesman emailed her opposition to the proposal after Beauchemin’s press release was sent out Tuesday.
Three Democratic state House Reps who represent Merrimack – Reps Nancy Murphy, Rosemarie Rung, Wendy Thomas, opposed the plan soon after the Post story was published.
Beauchemin, a nurse who represents Nashua, pointed to Goodlander’s January 2025 vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act—which mandated expanded federal detention—as the legislative “green light” that paved the way for the current plans in New Hampshire, according to her news release Tuesday.
“What we are seeing in Merrimack is the direct consequence of a ‘security-first’ ideology that treats our neighbors as threats to be detained indefinitely,” said Beauchemin. “While my opponent joined Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act, providing the legal cover for expanded, indefinite detention of citizens AND non-citizens, without due process, and without oversight, I stand with the working families of Merrimack who want investment in schools and housing, not more jail cells in our industrial parks.”
Beauchemin’s criticism comes as Goodlander has remained silent about her voting history related to the expansion of ICE, despite her recent high-profile video urging U.S. troops to “refuse illegal orders,” the release said.
“True leadership requires more than just videos about moral courage when the cameras are on; it requires the courage to vote against the expansion of the detention state even when it’s politically difficult,” Beauchemin said. “The voters of the 2nd District deserve a Representative who doesn’t wait for a poll to know that holding human beings without due process in our backyard is wrong.”
Goodlander’s spokesman on Tuesday responded to InDepthNH.org’s Dec. 26 request for comments on Tuesday, but didn’t respond to Beauchemin’s press release.
Goodlander’s response: “I am deeply concerned by reports that the Trump Administration has developed plans — apparently without input from the community — to use an industrial warehouse in New Hampshire to detain human beings. This is not who we are. I am working closely with our partners at every level of government to get to the bottom of this proposal, and I will continue using every tool available to hold the Trump Administration accountable.”
Democratic U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen and Congressman Chris Pappas, haven’t responded to InDepthNH.org’s requests for comments about the proposal or other previous questions regarding ICE activities in New Hampshire.
On Tuesday, House Democratic Leader Rep. Alexis Simpson (D-Exeter) released the following statement:
“(State) House Democrats firmly oppose building an ICE processing facility in Merrimack or anywhere in New Hampshire. Across the country, these facilities have been associated with serious human rights violations, a lack of due process, inadequate medical care, and the prolonged detention of many people who pose no public safety threat.
“Building an ICE processing warehouse in New Hampshire would entangle our state in a federal detention system that has repeatedly failed to meet basic standards of fairness and humanity. New Hampshire should not devote land, infrastructure, or public resources to a facility that separates families, destabilizes communities, and creates fear among immigrants who live, work, and contribute to our state. New Hampshire House Democrats will fight the establishment of an ICE processing warehouse in our state every step of the way.”