The federal Department of Homeland Security, which houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was in communication with at least one state agency in January about its plans to purchase and modify a vacant warehouse in Merrimack, according to documents obtained by the ACLU of New Hampshire through a public records request and released Tuesday.

The documents are the first known confirmation by the federal government of ICE’s plan to purchase and modify a facility in Merrimack, the draft plan of which was initially reported by the Washington Post in December. Since then, the Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly declined to confirm the report to local officials.

According to the documents released Tuesday, ICE representatives contacted the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Division of Historical Resources on Jan. 12, sharing a letter dated Jan. 9 that described plans “to purchase, occupy and rehabilitate a 43-acre warehouse property in support of ICE operations.”

The letter was authored by Gabrielle M Fernandez, an environmental protection specialist at the Department of Homeland Security. Federal and state law require projects in certain areas to receive review for potential impacts on historic and protected land.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte has repeatedly denied any knowledge of the plan, as recently as Jan. 28, when she told reporters that she had reached out to the federal government directly for more information.

In a statement released shortly after documents were announced on Tuesday, she sharply criticized the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

“It is entirely unacceptable that the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources failed to share this information with the Governor’s office,” she said.

In a statement hours later, Sarah Stewart, director of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, took “full responsibility” for failing to alert the governor.

“Division Directors are supposed to notify me of any Right-to-Know Requests or Section 106 Requests for Review of any matters potentially significant to the State,” she said. “I have reminded my team to notify me of requests of this nature, so I am positioned to review them and alert the Governor’s Office on all sensitive matters.”

The Division of Historical Resources is a relatively small agency, with only nine employees, according to its website.

NHPR reached out to Ayotte for more information about when agencies are supposed to alert the governor about such projects, and whether any other state agencies have been in communication with federal immigration officials, and did not receive a response by publication time.

Ayotte previously told reporters that she requested federal officials to communicate any plans with the town of Merrimack, which has long said it’s in the dark about any ICE proposal.

Town manager Paul Micali told NHPR he initially learned about the plan from the Post’s reporting. On Jan. 23, the Merrimack town council sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other federal and state officials stating its opposition to an ICE facility in the town because of potential adverse financial impacts.

Following the documents release, Micali said the town is still seeking more clarity.

“We’re still looking to get a straight answer from the Department of Homeland Security, one way or the other, whether they plan to put a facility in Merrimack or not,” he said.

Though the Department of Homeland Security was already communicating with the state Division of Historical Resources, federal Homeland Security officials declined to provide the town with more information — despite numerous requests from town officials, Gov. Ayotte and the state’s Congressional delegation.

Last week, the town of Merrimack received a message from Homeland Security via Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s office, which Merrimack posted to its website.

“ICE at this time is unable to share details about the upcoming expansion in New Hampshire or elsewhere. ICE has no new detention centers to announce at this time,” the letter said, citing a “heightened threat environment” due to opposition to its activities.

Space for “tentage and a guard shack”

The proposed property is 50 Robert Milligan Parkway, which is currently a vacant commercial warehouse.

In a letter, which refers to the site as a “Processing Center,” the Department of Homeland Security outlined potential modifications to the building’s interior, including the “construction of holding and processing spaces, office space, public-facing visitor spaces, and installation of amenities, such as cafeterias, bathrooms, and health care spaces.”

“This is a warehouse that is clearly intended for merchandise, and they’re trying to turn it into a place to house human beings,” said Devon Chaffee, executive director of the ACLU of New Hampshire.

The letter also outlines bolstering security on site, through measures like installing fencing, cameras and exterior personnel access control, as well as “tentage and a guard shack.”

The Post’s initial reporting showed leaked internal ICE documents that called for constructing a new nationwide network of facilities that could hold up to 80,000 migrants at once. It identified Merrimack as a site that could potentially hold up to 1,500 detainees.

“You can actually see the building from the F.E. Everett Turnpike,” said Merrimack town manager Paul Micali.

The maps included in the proposal show neighboring businesses and transportation infrastructure, like defense contractor BAE systems and the Nashua Airport.

In its assessment, the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Nadine Miller said on Jan. 21 that the department found ICE’s proposal would not impact historical resources and thus no further consultation between agencies was required.

ICE has taken similar steps in other communities across the country, including in Oklahoma and Virginia. In Oklahoma, plans for the facility have stalled, after the property owner stopped negotiating with federal authorities.

Chaffee with the ACLU called on elected officials to make their opposition clear.

“It matters if our governor says that she doesn’t want this facility,” she said.

Chaffee said the documents still leave a lot of questions unanswered, like how many people exactly ICE plans on detaining at the site and when the agency is planning on having the facility operational.

She said her group is “exploring all potential legal options for resisting this facility.”

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by New Hampshire Public Radio.

New Jersey has been literally locked in by ice!  What started as a light, friendly, puffy snow turned into what feels like a Jersey Glacier — ice on the ocean, in the bays, up the rivers, lakes, streams… and yes, even in your backyard! It has been weeks now of unrelenting sub-freezing temperatures and nasty winter conditions that just won’t quit.

A New Jersey snow/sleet storm turns everyday commutes into danger zones

For many of us everyday commuters, this isn’t some abstract weather headline — it’s personal. On my daily commute — over an hour each way on most days — I’ve never seen conditions like this. Windshields smashed in from flying ice? Yup, I’ve seen them. That’s not exaggeration — with this bitter cold coating everything, sheets of ice literally become projectiles on the highway.

In fact, in the Bordentown area a sheet of ice flew off a vehicle on I-295, broke a woman’s windshield, and hit her in the head — requiring dozens of stitches. New Jersey has a law on the books that requires drivers to remove snow and ice from their vehicles, and if that ice causes injury or damage, fines can be between $200 and $1,000 or more. But so many drivers still treat it casually — with potentially serious consequences.

Slips, falls and frozen water put residents and pets at risk

The damage doesn’t stop at cars. Whether it’s slick roads or sheet ice hiding underneath that “thin layer of snow,” people and pets are taking dangerous slips. I learned that the hard way trying to chip ice off my landscape lighting — and yep — I took a tumble just yesterday.

Add in the dangerously frozen bodies of water — spots like Barnegat Bay and other coastal inlets now ice-covered but not safe — and this cold snap is truly creating hazards all across the Garden State.

Dramatic ice rescues show how quickly fun turns life-threatening

And it’s not just me having close calls. In Woolwich Township last month, a 13-year-old boy fell through the ice on a local retention pond, prompting a dramatic rescue where police had to crawl out onto thin ice and into the frigid water to reach him as he shouted for help.

Rescue stories like that remind us just how unpredictable this ice can be — and how quickly a fun walk or playtime on “frozen” water can turn dangerous.

Frozen pipes, ice dams and home damage pile on the misery

For homeowners, the freeze-thaw cycle is no picnic either. Ice dams have formed along our roof and gutters, and we’ve been dealing with water sneaking into our windows during the brief thaw that hit yesterday. Unfortunately, it’s already dropping back into freezing again this weekend.

That thaw-freeze snap already caused real trouble for some: in Ocean County, freezing pipes in a nursing home forced the evacuation of nearly 50 residents after the pipes impacted the sprinkler system, flooding ceilings and prompting urgent relocation.

This current ice lock-down traces back to a massive storm nearly two weeks ago that dumped heavy snow and freezing rain across the tri-state area and left New Jersey looking like an iceberg. That storm not only created deep snow and ice pack but brought widespread treacherous travel conditions, easing only slightly before this week’s return to sub-freezing highs.

The lingering effects of that system — the ice build-up, frozen infrastructure, burst pipes and dangerous terrain — are what make this winter one of the most memorable in a very long time for anyone who’s had to walk, drive, or just get through a day outside in the Garden State.

And you know what? Maybe when July and August roll around, and we’re all whining about heat and humidity, thinking back to this death-grip freeze will cool us down — if only mentally. Because if there’s a silver lining to this brutal winter, it’s this: we’ll have stories to tell, laughs to share, and maybe just a tiny bit of appreciation for summer sweat instead of winter ice.

PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. (WPVI) — Community members voiced anger and concern Tuesday after witnesses reported what they described as violent arrests by federal officers in downtown Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, earlier in the day.

Video shared with Action News purportedly shows agents with Enforcement and Removal Operations, a division of ICE, making arrests Tuesday morning.

“We saw windows smashed, we saw people being dragged from their cars,” said Parker Studebaker of the Phoenixville Liberation Center.

Witnesses said federal agents surrounded a red SUV between 9 and 10 a.m. as it pulled into a parking lot on Taylor Alley. They said officers later returned to the same location and targeted a green SUV. The arrests occurred directly across from the police department, borough hall, and the courthouse.

“They ripped this other guy out of a car and handcuffed him. It was really aggressive and overly violent,” said Alicia West of Phoenixville.

Video from the scene shows clashes between agents and community members. It remains unclear who was taken into custody, why, or where the individuals were taken.

“It’s scary. It’s definitely something that you never want to see, your neighbors get abducted,” said Phoenixville resident Dalton Spitler.

“It’s infuriating. It’s really terrible to see that happen and not be able to do anything,” West said.

Action News reached out to the Department of Homeland Security seeking details about the arrests and any broader operations in Chester County, but has not received a response.

In a statement Tuesday, the Phoenixville mayor reaffirmed that borough police do not assist federal officers in immigration enforcement.

Studebaker, director ofthe Phoenixville Liberation Center, said he helps document incidents like this and supports families afterward.

“Every member of our community – regardless of status – is a member of our community, and at the liberation center, we’ve been able to bring together a lot of people to organize around this principal and protect our community,” he said.

Action News again contacted a DHS spokesperson on Tuesday and is still awaiting a response.

FULL STATEMENT: Clarification on the role of the Phoenixville Borough Police Department in immigration enforcement