Overview

The Strafford County House of Corrections in Dover is New Hampshire’s only local facility detaining immigrants for ICE. The county jail holds ICE detainees under a three-year Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA). As of early 2026, the facility has become a political flashpoint as Democrats push to renegotiate the contract to exclude non-criminal civil detainees.

Key Details

• Location: Dover, NH (Strafford County)
• Contract type: IGSA (three-year contract, currently in effect)
• Per diem rate: $150/day per ICE detainee
• Projected 2026 revenue: ~$9 million from ICE contract
• Property tax impact: Without ICE revenue, property taxes would rise ~20%
• Detainee profile: 68% classified as non-criminal (civil immigration violations only)

Population Growth

• Early February 2025: Average daily ICE population of 82
• December 11, 2025: 143 ICE detainees
• Early February 2026: Average daily ICE population of 145
• Growth: 77% increase in one year

The Contract Fight

See strafford-nh-ice-contract-fight for detailed county fight entry.

The county convention (Strafford County’s state representatives) voted in March 2026 to push for renegotiation:

• Resolution vote: 22-11 (party-line) to restrict the jail to holding only ICE detainees facing criminal charges, barring civil-only detainees
• Budget vote: 29-4 to reject the county commissioners’ proposed budget in protest of the ICE partnership
• Status: The votes are symbolic — the county convention does not have direct authority over the contract, which is controlled by county commissioners

Sources

• County jail in NH facing calls to rethink ICE agreement — Boston Globe (Mar 6, 2026)
• Strafford County Democrats take stand against ICE’s jail contract — NHPR (Mar 9, 2026)
• Inside the Strafford County Jail — Concord Monitor (Feb 24, 2025)
• Inside NH jail, ICE detainees look for a lifeline — Boston Globe (Mar 17, 2025)
• Strafford County Corrections — ICE Facility Page