Ayotte tells Trump, DHS that Merrimack should weigh in on potential ICE facility

Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she told federal authorities that Merrimack should be consulted about potential plans to build an Immigrations and Custom Enforcement detention facility in the town, given the potential impacts the facility could have on facets of town life like traffic and emergency services.

"I made quite clear both to the Department of Homeland Security as well as to the White House that I thought it was critical that there be full information provided to Merrimack,” Ayotte told reporters at a press conference Wednesday.

In December, The Washington Post reported on internal ICE documents that outline a draft plan to streamline ICE deportations through the construction of a national network of detention centers, with the goal of holding up to 80,000 immigrant detainees at one time.

In Merrimack, the plan calls for converting an industrial building into a so-called “processing site,” which could hold up to 1,500 detainees before shipping them to larger warehouses with 5,000 to 10,000 beds.

The town of Merrimack said it has gotten no confirmation regarding the plan, telling NHPR it found about the potential facility from press coverage.

Neither ICE nor any other federal entity has confirmed the plan, to journalists or to Ayotte.

When asked by reporters what influence the state has over the proposal, Ayotte said the state has little sway.

"Except that the lever I do have I'm exercising," she said, "which is telling [federal authorities] what I firmly believe. And anything we learn we will communicate with Merrimack."

Ayotte said the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend “should be thoroughly investigated.”

“That's what we would do if there was an officer involved shooting in New Hampshire,” she said.

Earlier this month, opponents to the facility gathered in protest outside of Merrimack town hall.