New Hampshire Republicans have put their foot down: No sanctuary cities allowed.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed two bills into law on Thursday that will prohibit municipalities from adopting so-called “sanctuary” or “welcoming” policies designed to keep local police from assisting with federal immigration enforcement. This contradicts the policy in Peterborough, which approved an ordinance in 2017 preventing the town’s police officers from asking people about their immigration status or enforcing federal immigration laws.
At the May 20 Peterborough Select Board meeting, members asked town legal counsel to weigh in on how the state law will impact Peterborough.
“Is there any chance the town would have any teeth to sue the state? I’m not suggesting, I’m just asking the question,” said Tyler Ward, chair of the Select Board, during the meeting. “People’s rights are being infringed upon and it’s starting to go through the courts and we’re finding that infringement is unlawful. If our town has a policy, I mean, is that something that is even in our wheelhouse?”
Several other municipalities, like Hanover and Lebanon, have ordinances similar to Peterborough’s. Ayotte said after signing House Bill 511 that it will override local policies.
“They’re going to have to follow state law, and they’re no longer going to be able to do that,” Ayotte said. “Having a consistent policy for the state on this issue is the safest thing we can do for New Hampshire.”
Senate Bill 62, which Ayotte also signed, will remove local authority to stop their police departments from signing onto federal 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Those partnerships deputize officers to carry out some immigration enforcement actions during their routine operations.
SB 62 also authorizes county jails to hold people for up to two days after their state or local charges have been resolved if they are subject to ICE detention.
Ayotte campaigned on banning sanctuary practices statewide, a stance that has been met with enthusiasm from GOP lawmakers. With expanded conservative majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the new laws easily cleared both chambers almost entirely along party lines.
Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript and Concord Monitor in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, subscribe to her Capital Beat newsletter and send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.
