Ayotte said the federal government\u2019s decision to halt the Merrimack project followed a trip to Washington last week during which she had \u201cproductive discussions\u201d with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. <\/p>\n
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\u201cI thank Secretary Noem for hearing the concerns of the Town of Merrimack and for the continued cooperation between DHS and New Hampshire law enforcement,\u201d Ayotte said in a statement. <\/p>\n
I\u2019m pleased to announce that the Department of Homeland Security will not move forward with the proposed ICE facility in Merrimack. <\/p>\n
During my trip to Washington last week, I had productive discussions with Secretary Kristi Noem. <\/p>\n
I thank her for hearing the concerns of the\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 Governor Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) February 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The proposed project had been met with an outpouring of local opposition, including from local officials in Merrimack<\/a>, who said it would strain police and emergency services and reduce local property tax revenues by nearly $530,000. It also sparked multiple protests<\/a>. <\/p>\n New Hampshire is not the only state where plans for an ICE warehouse have been scuttled. In Missouri, a development company announced it would not proceed<\/a> with the sale of a massive warehouse in Kansas City after weeks of public pressure.<\/p>\n And in Mississippi, Republican Senator Roger Wicker<\/a> said Noem agreed to look elsewhere following local opposition to a possible detention center in the town of Byhalia.<\/p>\n Local officials in Minneapolis said owners of warehouses there have also pulled out of possible ICE deals<\/a> following public outcry. <\/p>\n But ICE has closed on warehouses in other states<\/a>, including Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, and Texas. <\/p>\n Ayotte has not said whether she opposed the Merrimack project, but instead repeatedly called on federal authorities to consult with local officials who had clamored for more details of the facility. <\/p>\n \u201cI appreciated my discussions with Governor Ayotte last week,\u201d Noem said in a statement. She didn\u2019t address the scrapped warehouse plans beyond that but instead highlighted areas of collaboration with the state. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, in neighboring Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey had a one-word reaction to the cancellation: \u201cGood,\u201d the Democrat, who had criticized the proposed facility, posted on social media<\/a>.<\/p>\n Healey had previously called on Ayotte to do \u201ceverything in her power\u201d to block the warehouse on behalf of the region. Ayotte responded by blaming Healey and others in Massachusetts for creating \u201ca billion-dollar illegal immigrant crisis\u201d in New England.<\/p>\n The announcement came a day after New Hampshire\u2019s all-Democratic congressional delegation introduced legislation to block DHS from opening new detention facilities<\/a> without a local community\u2019s consent. <\/p>\n Finlay Rothhaus, chair of the Merrimack Town Council, said he is \u201cquite happy\u201d the ICE warehouse is off the table. <\/p>\n \u201cWe can breathe easy again,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n The cancellation, he said, is the result of a \u201cteam effort,\u201d including the town\u2019s outreach, protests, and the governor\u2019s recent communication with Noem.<\/p>\n Democratic lawmakers from Merrimack celebrated the cancellation. <\/p>\n \u201cOver the past few months, the people of Merrimack made it clear that a large federal detention facility was not welcome here,\u201d state Representatives Nancy Murphy, Rosemarie Rung, and Wendy Thomas said in a statement. <\/p>\n Kim Herdman Shapiro, an activist who opposed the ICE warehouse, called the news a victory. <\/p>\n \u201cToday, the people of Merrimack and all of New Hampshire proved that organized, local voices are more powerful than a federal agency\u2019s ruthless expansion,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is a victory for us and all of New England but it is not the end of the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, some New Hampshire Republicans credited Ayotte for her collaborative approach. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is what happens when you cooperate with federal partners instead of posturing for headlines and political theater,\u201d said House majority leader Jason Osborne of Auburn. \u201cNew Hampshire works with Washington, we talk, we strategize, and we coordinate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnother big win for Kelly Ayotte and her team,\u201d Representative Joe Sweeney, a Salem Republican, said in a post on social media<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cThese federal processing facilities belong in the very sanctuary states and cities that contributed to the crisis, not N.H.,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. Steven Porter of the Globe staff contributed to this report. <\/p>\n Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com<\/a>. Follow her @amanda_gokee<\/a>. Amanda Kaufman can be reached at amanda.kaufman@globe.com<\/a>. Follow her @amandakauf1<\/a>.<\/p>\n