New Hampshire — 287(g) Explosion: 15 Agencies, Only New England State with Local ICE Partnerships
The Big Picture
New Hampshire is the only state in New England where local police have entered formal 287(g) agreements with ICE for immigration enforcement. As of March 2026, 15 law enforcement agencies have signed up — a number that continues to grow. This makes NH a nationally significant case study in how the 287(g) program expands in states without sanctuary protections.
Participating Agencies (15 as of March 25, 2026)
County Sheriffs (4)
| County | FIPS | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Belknap County Sheriff | 33001 | Active, signed 2025 |
| Grafton County Sheriff | 33009 | Active, signed 2025 |
| Hillsborough County Sheriff | 33011 | Active, signed 2025 |
| Rockingham County Sheriff | 33015 | Active, signed April 24, 2025 |
State Police (1)
- New Hampshire State Police: Signed April 2025; application approved April 29, 2025
Municipal Police (10)
| Department | County | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn PD | Rockingham | Signed Jan 6, 2026 |
| Candia PD | Rockingham | Active |
| Carroll PD | Coos | $122,515 from DHS for vehicles/tech; detained 7 people for ICE in Dec 2025 |
| Colebrook PD | Coos | Active; has made immigration arrests |
| Epping PD | Rockingham | Active |
| Gorham PD | Coos | Active; town voted to recommend withdrawal (Mar 2026) |
| Ossipee PD | Carroll | Active; town voted 75-56 to recommend withdrawal (Mar 11, 2026); 1 deportation (El Salvador homicide suspect) |
| Pittsburg PD | Coos | Active |
| Troy PD | Cheshire | Has made immigration arrests; court ruled detainee’s detention violated INA |
| Whitefield PD | Coos | 15th agency, signed ~March 25, 2026 |
Immigration Arrests Under 287(g)
Agencies confirmed to have made immigration arrests:
- Troy PD: Arrested a Brazilian man (passenger in vehicle) who had valid work authorization and special protective status. Detained for over a month with no criminal charges. Released only after court order/lawsuit. In a separate case, a man spent 15 days in ICE custody at Strafford County jail before U.S. District Court ruled his “present detention without a bond hearing violates” the federal INA.
- Colebrook PD: Confirmed arrests (details not publicly reported)
- Carroll PD: Detained 7 individuals in December 2025 related to DUI crash investigations; received $943 reimbursement for officer time plus $122,515 from DHS for equipment
- Rockingham County Sheriff: Confirmed immigration arrests (details not publicly reported)
ACLU-NH FOIA Lawsuit
On January 15, 2026, the ACLU of New Hampshire filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against ICE (ACLU Foundation of New Hampshire v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) for failing to respond to requests for 287(g) training documents used to train ~138 officers across 13 NH agencies.
This is a significant transparency fight — the training materials would reveal what officers are being taught about immigration enforcement authority, racial profiling guidelines, and detainee rights.
Town Meeting Pushback (March 2026)
Several NH towns used their annual town meetings to push back against 287(g):
| Town | Vote | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Gorham | Non-binding warrant article recommending police withdrawal | Passed |
| Ossipee | Non-binding warrant article recommending police withdrawal | Passed 75-56 |
| Carroll | Petition for police withdrawal | Failed (82-82 tie) |
| Troy | Motion to oppose | Tabled |
| Hampton | Considered warrant article | Outcome unclear |
Key resident concerns: lack of public hearing before agencies joined, erosion of community trust, resource allocation questions, impact on immigrants feeling safe.
Financial Incentives
The 287(g) program includes federal payments to participating agencies:
- Carroll PD: Received $122,515 from DHS for vehicles, technology upgrades, and cell security equipment
- Carroll PD: Also claimed $943 for officer time detaining 7 individuals for ICE in Dec 2025
- This financial structure creates an incentive for small departments to join, especially in resource-constrained rural areas
The Governor’s Role
In late February 2025, Gov. Kelly Ayotte encouraged NH law enforcement to cooperate with ICE through 287(g) agreements, following Trump’s Executive Order 14159 (Jan 20, 2025) requiring ICE to authorize state and local officers “to the maximum extent permitted by law.”
Pattern Recognition
NH’s 287(g) explosion parallels:
- South Carolina: 3 to 37 287(g) agencies in one year, SLED 47 TFM agents
- Utah: 0 to 11 287(g) agencies in one year
- North Carolina: 27 agencies (3rd nationally)
But NH is unique as the only New England state participating, making it a beachhead for enforcement expansion in the region.
Sources
- Four of NH’s 10 counties now deputized to work with ICE — Concord Monitor (Jun 9, 2025)
- NH now has 13 police forces with ICE 287(g) agreements — Boston Globe (Jan 14, 2026)
- Big Money for Small NH Town, 14 NH Agencies Partner with ICE — InDepthNH (Mar 25, 2026)
- Some NH Folks Push Back on Local Police Role in ICE Program — InDepthNH (Apr 6, 2026)
- ACLU-NH files FOIA lawsuit seeking 287(g) training documents — ACLU-NH (Jan 15, 2026)
- ACLU-NH v. ICE — ACLU-NH case page
- NH police agencies cooperating with ICE — The Dartmouth (Jan 2026)
- More NH law enforcement agencies agree to participate — NHPR (Mar 10, 2025)
- NH State Police join ICE task force — Concord Monitor (Apr 29, 2025)
- Rockingham County looking to partner with ICE — Boston Globe (Apr 23, 2025)
- ACLU-NH statement on town election opposition to 287(g) — ACLU-NH