We, the undersigned residents and supporters of the Merrimack community, strongly oppose the construction of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Such a facility would have significant negative impacts on our town, placing unnecessary strain on local resources, infrastructure, and public services. Merrimack is a close-knit residential community, and introducing a federal detention center would disrupt public safety operations, increase demands on police, fire, and emergency services, and potentially bring prolonged protests and unrest that affect the daily lives of local citizens.

Furthermore, an ICE detention facility in Merrimack is unnecessary and deeply concerning given ICE’s recent and well-documented history of brutality, human rights violations, and inhumane treatment of detainees. Across the country, ICE has faced widespread criticism for abuse, neglect, lack of medical care, and violations of due process. Establishing such a facility in our town would associate Merrimack with practices that many residents find morally unacceptable and contrary to our shared values of dignity, fairness, and respect for human rights. There are more humane and effective alternatives to detention that do not involve expanding a system that has caused demonstrable harm.

Finally, building and operating an ICE detention facility would represent a severe misappropriation of public funds. At a time when communities are struggling with housing shortages, rising costs of living, underfunded schools, healthcare needs, and critical infrastructure repairs, diverting resources toward a federal detention center offers little to no benefit for Merrimack residents. Public money should be invested in programs and services that strengthen our community, not in a facility that brings financial burdens, ethical concerns, and long-term negative consequences. For these reasons, we urge decision-makers to reject any proposal to build an ICE detention facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire.