Federal immigration enforcement is drawing renewed attention across New Hampshire as reports of increased ICE activity surface in communities including Keene, Lebanon and the Upper Valley.
New Hampshire Public Radio reported Tuesday that immigration advocates have been documenting increased ICE activity in several parts of the state, including reports of recent detentions. The reports come as New Hampshire has become a national example of local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Keene Mayor Jay Kahn confirmed new ICE presence in his city Monday, saying local police were not involved and inviting residents to raise concerns at the weekly council meeting. He said he has tried to track down circulating rumors to minimize misinformation.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte has supported expanded cooperation with ICE, which gives police additional tools to identify criminal defendants who are illegally in the country and transfer them to federal authorities.
The policy remains a subject of debate. As of June, 21 New Hampshire police departments were participating in ICE's 287(g) program. The program allows local law-enforcement agencies to work with the Department of Homeland Security to carry out certain immigration-enforcement functions. Manchester officials recently declined to enter a 287(g) agreement.
ICE, in a statement to NHPR, would not confirm a local increase, citing operational security, but said its Boston office routinely conducts operations across New England, including New Hampshire, as part of the administration's broader deportation push. “The Trump Administration is utilizing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, just as President Trump promised. Anyone who has been deported received full due process.”
The debate is likely to intensify as the Trump administration continues its nationwide immigration-enforcement campaign.
