Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander released the following statement on the cancellation of ICE Detention Facility plans in Merrimack:

“The reports that ICE has canceled its half-baked, dangerous, and un-American plan to commandeer an industrial building in New Hampshire to warehouse human beings are a good and important development. It was made possible by patriots in every corner of New Hampshire who spoke up clearly from day one: we do not want ICE using our taxpayer dollars to fund a shadowy plan that undermined our local communities, eviscerated public trust, imperiled public safety, and threatened economic growth in the midst of a full-blown affordability crisis. 

“Our work is far from over, and I will not quit in the fight here in Congress to advance commonsense legislation that will rein in and prevent the chaos ICE is fueling in our communities, including by mandating the transparency and accountability that local communities across New Hampshire need and deserve over any and every decision to develop federal facilities in our state.”

Congresswoman Goodlander has been outspoken in opposition to the proposed ICE detention center in New Hampshire since it was made public in December 2025. She helped introduce the Respect for Local Communities Act to rein in this chaos by mandating the transparency and accountability that local communities across New Hampshire and America need and deserve over these decisions. She also called on Secretary Kristi Noem to be removed from office or impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives. In January, she and the New Hampshire Congressional delegation urged Secretary Noem to address concerns raised by the Merrimack Town Council about the proposed facility and its impact. She also voted against the Department of Homeland Security funding bill and cosponsored the PUBLIC SAFETY Act to redirect billions from ICE to local law enforcement, arguing that public safety depends on strong local partnerships. Goodlander and the Congressional delegation also forwarded a letter from a Republican NH state representative to Secretary Noem in opposition to the planned immigration detention center in Merrimack.

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