As national immigration enforcement efforts continue to ramp up, Hillsborough County residents used a local budget meeting Wednesday and Thursday to voice their concerns about the ways that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is interacting with the community.
Dozens of constituents spoke against a line item in the proposed county budget that would have allocated $734,781 to update the county jail ahead of a potential contract with ICE.
“Immigrants pay taxes just like pretty much everyone in this room. They fill vital social and economic roles in our communities. New Hampshire is a state founded and built by immigrants, and we are stronger for our new American communities,” said Goffstown resident Jackie Trexler. “I urge you to oppose this contract with ICE. Do not give them a cent of our tax dollars, because they do not make us any more safe or prosperous.”
Other constituents shared their concerns about legal liability for the county, the condition of the county jail and trust between immigrant communities and police.
Department of Corrections Superintendent Joseph Costanzo explained that the jail is usually at half of its capacity. Because of this, he said that it would be possible for the jail to sign a contract with ICE to house between 30 and 96 immigration detainees. If the agreement with ICE were ever signed, he added that it would be likely that the jail would house medium to high security detainees, including some from out of state.
Republicans argued that accepting detainees would generate revenue during a tough budget year, but Democrats removed the item after a party line vote. Since the item was part of a contingency budget, eliminating it makes it harder for the jail to sign an inter-agency agreement with ICE this year – even if ICE reimburses the jail for a needs assessment.
Democratic Rep. Mark MacKenzie from Manchester said the constituents that showed up to the budget hearing echoed the growing concern of some residents about the increased role of ICE in the county. Hillsborough is home to the biggest concentration of immigrant communities in the state.
“I was moved, quite frankly, by the testimony from dozens of people,” he said. “They’re more concerned than they ever have been about what's happening at the federal government and now they see this creeping into the local government, into our county.”
Although it wasn’t an issue on the agenda, several constituents also spoke about their concerns with the recent decision from the Hillsborough County's Sheriff's office to sign a 287(g) agreement with ICE that will train sheriff’s deputies to join immigration enforcement.
For example, Alejandro Urrútia from Nashua spoke out against the 287(g) agreement and any other interaction between local officers and ICE. Like many other speakers, he said that it eroded trust between immigrant communities and police officers.
“Immigration is a very complicated, a very complicated matter. And the federal government, year after year, has been failing to solve the problem. And they are throwing this problem toward us. We should never allow the Sheriff's department to act as immigration officers.”
The rest of the budget passed, increasing property taxes in the county an average of 20%, about $75 for the year.
