By ZACH LAIRD, InDepthNH.org
The Department of Homeland Security has still not ruled out potentially opening an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in New Hampshire, following now-Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s refusal to reject the idea during his confirmation hearing.
Mullin, a former Republican senator from Oklahoma, was previously questioned by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, during his March 18 hearing about a detention center that had been planned in Merrimack before the plan was scrapped by former Secretary Kristi Noem. While he said he would work with community leaders, Mullin would not definitively reject the possibility of similar plans returning.
In a follow-up conversation, a spokesperson for the DHS said, “As with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals. As Secretary Mullin said in his confirmation hearing: ‘I will work with the community leaders and make sure that we are delivering for the American people what the President set out… We want to work with community leaders. We want to be good partners.'”
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons responded in a letter on March 25 to Hassan’s inquiries about future plans for an ICE facility in Merrimack and said, “Due to the dynamic nature of immigration enforcement, ICE is assessing a variety of locations throughout the country, but cannot confirm or discuss any specific locations at this time.
“ICE will continue to engage with state and local stakeholders when appropriate, while ensuring operational security. As information is made public, the agency will communicate with federal, state, and local lawmakers,” Lyons said.
Hassan said when ICE planned a facility in Merrimack over the objections of local town officials that “Granite Staters spoke out and got the project paused.” She shared her concern that ICE keeps refusing to rule out the construction of detention facilities elsewhere in New Hampshire.
“ICE needs to be transparent, honest, and work with local communities. That’s why I helped introduce legislation that would require ICE to obtain the written approval of state and local officials before proceeding with the construction of any facility,” Hassan said.
When state Rep. Wendy Thomas, D-Merrimack was asked if she viewed this as a reversal or contradiction of the earlier decision to cancel the Merrimack facility plans, she said nothing surprises her with the Trump Administration.
“We’re not taking our eyes off the Merrimack warehouse ( at 50 Robert Milligan Parkway where the facility was to be located) and a Hudson warehouse that we’re keeping our eyes on, or any other warehouse in New Hampshire. Specifically, because they said New Hampshire is not off the table,” Thomas said.
She continued that she thinks everyone is in agreement that an ICE facility is “the wrong thing for New Hampshire. This is not who we are.”
“The first time, there was no communication with local officials, and even Gov. Kelly Ayotte didn’t have good information… If you’re going to make a huge impact on a town like a detention center would make, I would think you’d be involved with the town, and talk to town and state leaders, and get on board with the town instead of steamrolling your project through the town,” Thomas said.
Merrimack Town Manager Paul Micali said there are no plans the town is aware of for an ICE facility, and that it has not heard from the DHS at all “besides what we got through the Governor’s (Kelly Ayotte) office.”
“At this time, there are no planned ICE facilities in Merrimack, nor does the town have any information that that is going to happen. As far as we know right now, the ICE facility will not be located in Merrimack,” he said.
Reporter Zach Laird can be reached at zachlaird201@gmail.com