NH Congressional Delegation Continues to Urge DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to Engage with Local Merrimack Officials on ICE Facility Proposal

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a senior member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, alongside Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) are continuing to push Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to address the serious concerns raised by local Merrimack officials regarding ICE's effort to build a new detention facility in the town.

The New Hampshire Congressional Delegation wrote to Secretary Noem transmitting a letter from New Hampshire State Representative Bill Boyd outlining his opposition and concerns regarding ICE's proposed Merrimack facility. Despite widespread public concern in Merrimack about the project, local Merrimack officials say they have still not been contacted by DHS or 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," wrote New Hampshire's Congressional Delegation. "We share the local concerns expressed about the project, and these concerns must be addressed."

"We...request that you expeditiously engage with local leadership, including law enforcement and emergency services, regarding the proposed plan. We look forward to your prompt outreach to local officials, law enforcement, and emergency services," concluded the Congressional Delegation.

The letter follows a January letter from the Congressional Delegation urging Secretary Noem to acknowledge and respond to concerns raised by the Merrimack Town Council regarding reports that ICE was planning to establish a new processing center in the town. Recently, during a hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Hassan pressed the head of ICE about the proposed Merrimack facility, getting him to publicly confirm for the first time that the agency is planning on establishing a facility in New Hampshire and pushed him to listen to the people of Merrimack, who will be directly impacted by this facility.

Read the letter the delegation sent to Secretary Noem last week here or below:

Dear Secretary Noem,

We write today to transmit a letter from New Hampshire State Representative for the Town of Merrimack, Bill Boyd, detailing his opposition and concerns related to the Department of Homeland Security's proposed plan to purchase property in Merrimack to use as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and processing facility. 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.

We share the local concerns expressed about the project, and these concerns must be addressed. We request that you confirm receipt of this correspondence. We further request that you expeditiously engage with local leadership, including law enforcement and emergency services, regarding the proposed plan.

We look forward to your prompt outreach to local officials, law enforcement, and emergency services.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

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