Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has shut down plans for a new federal immigration detention center in her alleged lover’s home state after protesters made it clear it was not welcome.
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced on Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security would not move forward with a proposed 324,000-square-foot Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that would have housed 500 to 1,000 migrants in the town of Merrimack, New Hampshire.
“During my trip to Washington last week, I had productive discussions with Secretary Kristi Noem, and I’m pleased to announce that the Department of Homeland Security will not move forward with the proposed ICE facility in Merrimack,” Ayotte, a Republican, said in a press release, which was shared on X by Politico reporter Kyle Cheney.
Noem’s chief adviser and alleged lover, Corey Lewandowski, was a marine patrol officer in New Hampshire and mulled running for U.S. senator in the state in 2019.
On Saturday, hundreds of community members gathered in the streets outside Merrimack Town Hall to protest the proposed ICE detention center.
Among the protesters was Democratic state Rep. Wendy Thomas, who said the warehouse facility would cost the town $529,000 in lost revenue every year—funds that she argued would be better used to “support our schools, our roads, and our public services.”
“This decision will define who we are, not just as a town, but as a state,” Thomas said at the rally, InDepthNH reported. “Merrimack should not become the place where suffering is hidden behind fences and contracts. New Hampshire should not become the state that welcomes this.”
City officials have “repeatedly said” they have been ”in the dark" about DHS’ plans for the ICE facility, according to NHPR.
The Merrimack warehouse is one of several proposed ICE warehouse detention centers around the country that have drawn backlash from the local community.
Officials in the small, primarily conservative town of Social Circle, Georgia, have expressed concern about the federal government’s purchase of a large industrial warehouse for ICE detainees. Community members, who live in a county that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, shared similar sentiments.
“I would rather not have it here,” longtime Social Circle resident Harriett Nunnally told The Guardian. “I don’t see any pluses... nobody wants a prison in their backyard.”
The Republican state representative for Merrimack, Bill Boyd, has also been trying to stop the planned detention center, telling NHPR that he was “against [the plan for the facility] for the simple fact that this is federalism run amok.”
On Feb. 6, Boyd wrote a letter to Noem warning of the negative impact that the ICE facility would have on the town’s economy and public safety services, saying it would “stifle economic growth” and “replace it with an incompatible use that generates minimal economic returns or community benefits.”
On Monday, the state’s congressional delegation announced a bipartisan bill requiring input from residents and state and local officials before creating new federal detention facilities.
“Our new bill responds directly to the concerns we’ve heard from local officials in towns like Merrimack, New Hampshire, and across the country,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said, according to NHPR. “They were never consulted about ICE’s plans, and they don’t want the chaos of new detention facilities in their communities.”
When reached for comment, DHS shared a statement attributed to Noem: “I appreciated my discussions with Governor Ayotte last week. From banning sanctuary cities to strengthening law enforcement cooperation, New Hampshire has been a strong partner in securing our country, and we look forward to continuing our work together.”
