Merrimack residents have recently beat a move to establish an ICE facility in their town. Apparently some items about ICE were on town meeting agendas.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has abandoned plans for a major Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Merrimack, New Hampshire, following intense local opposition and advocacy from state leadership. The proposed 324,000-square-foot facility, intended for a mass deportation initiative, was scrapped in February 2026 after months of protests and safety concerns from residents.
From former Senator Gordon Humphrey:
ICE has established a degree of control in the police departments in a number of New Hampshire towns. In each town, ICE entered through a backdoor forcibly held open by the state. Many residents are upset about this and said so in last week’s town meetings. In some towns voters approved articles flatly objecting to ICE’s presence.
Read more… Gordon Humphrey: Town meetings vote to oust ICE. State yawns