ICE cancels plans to build facility in NH after Republican Governor speaks with Kristie Noem

MERRIMACK, N.H. —

New Hampshire's Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte announced Tuesday morning on social media that DHS would not proceed with the project to build an ICE facility in Merrimack, NH. Ayotte said she was pleased to make the announcement and that she'd had “productive discussions” with Secretary Noem during a recent trip to Washington.

“I thank her for hearing the concerns of the Town of Merrimack,” Ayotte wrote, adding that New Hampshire law enforcement would continue cooperating with DHS on border security and public safety efforts.

Last week, all four democratic members of New Hampshire's Congressional delegation wrote directly to Kristi Noem about the negative impact they believe a facility like this might have on the local community's economic development. They said they were transmitting concerns from New Hampshire State Representative for the Town of Merrimack, Bill Boyd.

"We share the local concerns expressed about the project, and these concerns must be addressed," the letter wrote.

The concerns first surfaced in late January, when rumors of the plans began to circulate, but the delegation said their efforts to confirm it with DHS were unsuccessful.

During a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, one of the Senators, Maggie Hassan, questioned Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons about the rumors, and he confirmed they were true.

“Are you aware that ICE has identified a commercial warehouse in Merrimack, New Hampshire, as a site for a new detention center?” Hassan asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Lyons responded.

Hassan said she and town leaders had expressed concerns about the facility and that when Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker expressed similar concerns about a facility being built in his state, ICE canceled the plans.

"I would hope that I would get the same treatment Senator Whicker got, which is to say the town doesn't want the detention center, so please cancel it. And I would expect my partisan affiliation shouldn't make any difference to that determination."

When Hassan asked if ICE would simultaneously cancel the New Hampshire project, Lyons said no and that DHS had worked with Governor Ayotte and provided her with an economic impact summary.

A week and a half after that conversation, Governor Ayotte announced that the plans had been canceled.

"DHS’s reported cancellation of its plan for an ICE facility in Merrimack is a direct result of Granite Staters speaking up and pushing back on this Administration’s lack of transparency, refusal to coordinate with the community, and actions that would make the town of Merrimack less safe," Hassan said in a statement responding to the decision.