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Our 9 month series, New Hampshire's Immigration Story explored just that... the vast history of who came to New Hampshire, when they came, why they came, the challenges they faced once they landed on Granite State soil and the contributions that they brought to our state. The Exchange, Word of Mouth, and our News Department looked at the issue of immigration from its first arrivals to the newest refugees calling New Hampshire home.We saw how immigration affects our economy, health care, education system, culture and our current system of law. We also looked at what's going on in New Hampshire today, as we uncovered the groups, societies and little known people who are making an impact all over the state.Funding for NH's Immigration Story is brought to you in part by: New Hampshire Humanities Council, Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation, The Gertrude Couch Trust0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff89e10000

N.H.'s Immigration Detention Facility Saw Spike In February

The exterior of Valley Street Jail, in Manchester
Emily Corwin
/
NHPR

The number of people detained in New Hampshire by federal immigration authorities since Donald Trump took office was greater than the number detained any of the previous six months. 

Immigration officials across Northern New England often send detainees to the Strafford County Jail in Dover. There, for each of the last six months, the average number of immigration detainees per day was typically in the low 80s, never rising above 90 individuals.

But in February, the jail had an average of 106 immigration detainees each day, a 25 percent increase over the previous month.

County Administrator Ray Bower says this is not necessarily a trend: “I don’t see it as being inconsistent with some prior months,” he said, “we’ve been in the upper 90’s before.”

One month over the previous year did reach a daily average of 105 detainees.

Preliminary numbers from the month of March show an evening out – with an average at 93 people per day.

Strafford County charges the federal government $83 per day for each detainee. 

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