Across the country, ICE’s harsh deportation tactics are tearing families apart - including those of US citizens — and here in New Hampshire, our own communities remain at risk because of active agreements with ICE under the 287(g) program.

As NHPR reports, "a growing number of New Hampshire law enforcement agencies have been approved to join a federal program that deputizes local officers to carry out federal immigration enforcement, including serving warrants and detaining people suspected of being in the country illegally".

The 287(g) program, managed by DHS and ICE, turns local police into immigration agents, breaking trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement. It leads to racial profiling, wrongful detentions, and fear that keeps victims and witnesses from coming forward.

“Something like the 287(g) will just strike fear into the heart of the community,” said Sarah Jane Knoy from the Granite State Organizing Project. ”Because it will require police to not be concerned about community safety, but instead to try to enforce complicated federal immigration law.”

Other states and cities are trying to fight the program, realizing that real public safety comes from community trust — not collaboration with ICE’s mass deportation machine.

New Hampshire must do the same.

We demand that state and local officials immediately end all 287(g) agreements and commit to protecting all residents, regardless of immigration status.

We call on Governor Kelly Ayotte to protect all NH residents! 

Our communities deserve safety, dignity, and justice — not fear. It’s time for New Hampshire to lead with values, not fear-driven policies.