Rindge police officers will soon carry out federal immigration enforcement duties under a newly signed agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), joining 27 other local departments across New Hampshire in expanding municipal police authority.
The July 27 agreement, part of a federal program that hundreds of agencies across the United States have entered into under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, grants participating Rindge officers the power to interrogate suspected undocumented immigrants, execute arrest warrants, and issue detainers. While Chief Rachel Malynowski frames the federal partnership as a low-impact routine move that brings valuable equipment and funding to the department, the decision draws the town into an escalating state and national debate over local policing, civil rights, and state sanctuary bans.
Rindge’s agreement was not yet posted on the ICE website, which lists participating agencies and their agreements, but boilerplate language signed by other New Hampshire departments requires mandatory training and exams for participating officers.
According to the language of others’ agreements, following the training, officers would be allowed to interrogate people believed to be undocumented immigrants and process immigration violations for individuals arrested for criminal offenses. They have the power to serve and execute warrants of arrest for immigration violations, administer oaths and take and consider evidence, including fingerprinting, photographing, and interviewing for ICE review. They have the power to issue immigration detainers, take and maintain custody of undocumented immigrants arrested by ICE or another enforcement agency on ICE’s behalf, and transport them to ICE-approved facilities.
Participants in the program can receive stipends and reimbursements for things like officer pay and partial overtime pay while engaged in immigration enforcement, equipment and IT resources. Training is covered by ICE. Departments are also eligible for federal payments through government programs.
In an email sent by Rindge Police Chief Rachel Malynowski to Rindge Select Board members, Town Administrator Max Vandervliet, and the Rindge Director of Public and Life Safety Bob Faas, Malynowski informed the board that the department had signed the agreement.
“After months of research and very careful consideration, the Rindge PD has signed an MOU to enter into an agreement to partner with the 287 ICE Task Force Model,” Malynowski wrote in the email.
According to the email, each of Rindge’s officers will be receiving 40 hours of mandatory online training, to be completed within 60 days of signing the memorandum.
Malynowski wrote about some of the program’s benefits, mainly funding, though she did not have specific information on how much funding would be available.
“There are funds available to partnering agencies, which include transportation/vehicle costs, payroll reimbursement, and equipment stipends. The funds can be substantial, and I believe that the impact to each officer and, more importantly, to the Town of Rindge should be minimal,” Malynowski wrote.
Malynowski said the intent was to incorporate the agreement into the department’s regular duties and responsibilities.
“As we have always partnered and worked effectively with the Federal Government, I don’t anticipate that there will be too much change to our day-to-day activities,” Malynowski wrote.
The program has not been without controversy. The American Civil Liberties Union has strongly publicly opposed the program dating as far back as 2009, “believing it has led to illegal racial profiling and civil rights abuses while diverting scarce resources from traditional law enforcement functions and distorting immigration enforcement priorities,” according to the ACLU website.
Several states have enacted laws banning 287(g) agreements. Camden, Delaware, was the first city in the state to enter into a 287(g) agreement, and then backtracked after public outcry. In 2025, the Delaware legislature passed a law banning 287(g) agreements between ICE and local police in the state.
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte has been a supporter of 287(g) agreements. In 2025, she released a statement on the model, saying, “It is critical for state and local law enforcement to cooperate with federal authorities and protect our citizens. Criminals who are in our country illegally and pose a danger should be apprehended and removed. I support and encourage New Hampshire law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE to enforce our laws and keep our communities safe.”
In 2025, Ayotte also signed into law legislation that bans the concept of “sanctuary cities” statewide, requires local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, and removes any state or local restrictions that prevent police and sheriffs from entering into voluntary cooperative agreements with ICE.