Here is the latest:
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection contacted the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources about accessing the state’s platform for historical and archeological records
- The state’s congressional delegation announced legislation that would require local and state consultation before ICE constructs new detention centers
U.S. Customs and Border Protection asked the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources “about licensing, subscriptions, and agreements that would be required to access state cultural resources databases,” according to a message posted to the town of Merrimack’s website Friday.
According to the message, Adam Crepeau, the department's interim commissioner, said he told the CBP that the state's historic and archaeological records database, known as EMMIT+, is free and available to the public through a sign-up. The database provides access to more than 16,000 relevant records, and allows users to submit and track projects.
The CBP is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and one of the largest federal law enforcement agencies. It is tasked primarily with protecting and overseeing the movement of people and goods at the U.S. border.
Crepeau said he shared that correspondence with town manager Paul Micali “[in] an effort to keep the town informed.”
Earlier this year, former Commissioner Sarah Stewart was forced to resign following news that her department failed to inform state officials that it had been in touch with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — another DHS agency — about plans for an immigrant detention facility in Merrimack.
ICE consulted with the state preservation agency in January about proposed changes to the facility, located at 50 Robert Milligan Parkway in Merrimack, including fencing, cameras, and “tentage and a guard shack.”
The town of Merrimack has repeatedly said it is in the dark about DHS’s plans for the facility. Local officials have also raised concerns about the impact of the facility on the town.
Republican Rep. Bill Boyd, who represents Merrimack, said he has been working to advocate for his constituents since the news initially broke back in December. In January, Boyd told NHPR that he was “against [the plan for the facility] for the simple fact that this is federalism run amok.”
In the following weeks, Boyd has written letters to both Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Trammell Crow, the commercial real estate company that currently owns the building.
In his Feb. 6 letter to Noem, which was shared by the state’s congressional delegation, he said the facility could harm the town’s economy and place undue burden on its public safety services and infrastructure.
“Converting this industrial asset into an ICE detention center stifles our economic growth and replaces it with an incompatible use that generates minimal economic returns or community benefits,” he said.
He also called for more community input into the plan.
On Monday, Boyd raised concerns about staffing the facility, both during its construction and once it is operational.
“We cannot get people to fill the ‘help wanted’ signs in town,” he said.
Boyd said both Merrimack — and Hillsborough County — are currently struggling to hire for police and correctional officer positions.
“If the federal government buys this property, the town of Merrimack is going to lose $530,000 a year in property taxes,” Boyd said. “That's not taking into consideration the volume of wastewater that we would have to treat. That’s not taking into consideration… law enforcement and our first responders having to go to that facility.”
On Monday, New Hampshire’s congressional delegation announced bicameral legislation that would mandate input from state and local officials and residents prior to creating new ICE detention centers.
“Our new bill responds directly to the concerns we’ve heard from local officials in towns like Merrimack, New Hampshire and across the country: They were never consulted about ICE’s plans, and they don’t want the chaos of new detention facilities in their communities,” said Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
In a statement to NHPR last week, ICE declined to confirm its plans for the detention center in Merrimack.
“We have no new detention centers to announce at this time. These will be very well structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards,” ICE wrote in a statement to NHPR on Friday. “...It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and is actively working to expand detention space.”
