DHS backs off plans for new ICE facility in New Hampshire after local pushback, meeting with governor

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has agreed to scrap plans for a caller migration detention installation successful New Hampshire, Gov. Kelly Ayotte said Tuesday.

The Republican leader, who has been outspoken astir banning sanctuary cities and strengthening borderline security, announced the determination pursuing galore concerns from Merrimack officials astir the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility’s fiscal interaction connected the community.

Noem reportedly agreed pursuing "productive discussions" during Ayotte’s sojourn to Washington, D.C., past week.

"I’m pleased to denote that the Department of Homeland Security volition not determination guardant with the projected ICE installation successful Merrimack," Ayotte said. 

New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte said Tuesday she was "pleased to announce" that a projected ICE installation successful the authorities would beryllium going forward. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

"I convey Secretary Noem for proceeding the concerns of the Town of Merrimack and for the continued practice betwixt DHS and New Hampshire instrumentality enforcement to unafraid our bluish border, support unsafe criminals disconnected our streets, and guarantee our communities are safe."

DHS confirmed to Fox News Digital that the determination was made successful concern with Ayotte, who Noem described arsenic a beardown state successful efforts to unafraid the nation’s borders.

"I appreciated my discussions with Governor Ayotte past week," Noem said successful a statement. "From banning sanctuary cities to strengthening instrumentality enforcement cooperation, New Hampshire has been a beardown spouse successful securing our country, and we look guardant to continuing our enactment together."

PROPANE TANK HURLED INTO ARIZONA ICE FACILITY IN SUSPECTED ARSON ATTACK, FBI INVESTIGATING

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has agreed to halt plans for a caller ICE installation successful New Hampshire. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The projected ICE installation was expected to location betwixt 400 and 600 people, and outgo an estimated $158 cardinal to renovate and convert.

However, section officials opposed the tract earlier this year, saying the improvement would pb to higher taxes for section residents successful Merrimack.

"There would beryllium a $529,000 alteration successful taxation revenue," the Merrimack Town Council said successful a Jan. 23 missive to Noem. "This would effect successful an summation successful the taxation complaint for our citizens."

The municipality added that if the processing halfway is built, "potential difficulties and civilian protestation would necessitate" a constabulary and fire-rescue beingness astatine the site.

"Again, determination is simply a imaginable fiscal interaction upon those departments and their budgets," they said. "As a result, this Town Council is against the constitution of an ICE processing halfway based upon the aforementioned fiscal impacts and concerns to our budget." 

In an interrogation with The Dartmouth, Republican authorities Sen. Dan Innis besides questioned the conversion plans. 

While the extremity is to "get criminals disconnected the streets and nonstop them backmost home," helium urged the DHS to "take different look astatine our authorities and inquire themselves if determination is simply a amended location."

Officials said DHS besides released an unfinished papers that appeared to beryllium a revised template for a projected installation successful Oklahoma, which was yet scrapped successful precocious January.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The investigation — which claimed the projected tract would make hundreds of jobs and make millions successful gross — incorrectly referred to the site’s "effects connected the Oklahoma economy" and cited income taxation revenue, which New Hampshire does not collect. 

New Hampshire Speaker of the House Sherm Packard praised Ayotte connected Tuesday’s determination to halt the plans, commending her "for moving diligently down the scenes to guarantee New Hampshire’s concerns were heard."

Ayotte's bureau did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for comment.

Related Article