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Sen. McGough: Too Early To Discuss Report On ICE Plans To Hold Immigrants in Merrimack, NH

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2 months ago

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Sen. McGough: Too Early To Discuss Report On ICE Plans To Hold Immigrants in Merrimack, NH


By NANCY WEST, InDepthNH.org

To speed up deportations, the Trump administration plans to hold 80,000 immigrants in warehouses across the country, including in Merrimack, NH, according to a story published Wednesday in the Washington Post.

Quoting internal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement documents, the Post said the plan includes seven large-scale holding centers to stage 5,000 to 10,000 people for deportation each and 16 smaller ones such as in Merrimack to hold between 500 and 1,500, and would include renovating industrial warehouses.

State Sen. Tim McGough, R-Merrimack, said he has not received any direct communication from Homeland Security, ICE or any federal agency regarding a proposed facility in Merrimack, but would work with local and state officials should more information emerge.

State Rep. Wendy E.N Thomas, D-Merrimack, said she is against any ICE building in Merrimack.

“I am opposed to any ICE building in our town. We don’t need warehouses to detain thousands of people, many illegally. ICE has already racked up many human rights violations and they have terrorized people across the nation. ICE is not welcome in our town or even in NH,” Thomas said Thursday evening.

McGough responded to InDepthNH.org by email Thursday evening saying: “Beyond the general reference in the Washington Post article, there is very little concrete information available to town or state officials that I am aware of. Given that, it is far too early to draw any conclusions or offer definitive commentary about what this might mean.”

Gov. Kelly Ayotte didn’t respond to questions about the Post story Wednesday or on Thursday.

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McGough said, “Until there is more specific, verified information about an actual proposal, scope, location and process, any discussion would be purely speculative.

“What I can say is that if anything of this nature were to be formally proposed, Merrimack’s local officials – including town administration, law enforcement, the Planning Board and Town Council – would operate within the law and in accordance with all applicable planning, zoning and regulatory requirements.

“I am confident that the town would also ensure appropriate transparency and public notice as required.

“Public safety would also be paramount. I would expect that any discussion would involve close coordination with local municipal, county and state law enforcement officials to ensure they are satisfied at every phase of the process, and to ensure that Merrimack and all District 11 residents are kept safe and treated fairly,” McGough said.

“As the state Senator representing Merrimack, my role would be to make sure that any required state level processes are followed and that residents are kept informed as facts become available.

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“Public engagement and adherence to established procedures would be essential. For now though there simply isn’t enough information to comment further. I’ll certainly stay engaged and work with town officials should more details emerge,” McGough said.

According to the Post story, “The large warehouses would be located close to major logistics hubs in Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Georgia and Missouri. Sixteen smaller warehouses would hold up to 1,500 people each,” including one in Merrimack, N.H, the only one listed for New England.

“The draft solicitation is not final and is subject to changes. ICE plans to share it with private detention companies this week to gauge interest and refine the plan, according to an internal email reviewed by The Post. A formal request for bids could follow soon after that,” the Post reported, adding Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said she “cannot confirm” its reporting and declined to answer questions about the warehouse plan.

“The majority of the planned warehouses are in towns, counties and states led by Republicans supportive of Trump’s immigration policies. Two of the largest warehouses are planned for towns with Democrat-led local governments: Stafford, Virginia, and Kansas City, Missouri,” the Post reported.

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New Hampshire

Possible 2028 Democratic White House contenders weigh in on Iran with New Hampshire voters

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7 hours ago

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March 10, 2026

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Possible 2028 Democratic White House contenders weigh in on Iran with New Hampshire voters


As the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran overtakes the foreign policy debate in Washington, two Democratic governors with potential 2028 presidential aspirations — Gavin Newsom and Andy Beshear — recently traveled to New Hampshire, introducing themselves to the state’s famously engaged voters. The two weighed in on the war and both criticized and questioned President Trump’s strategy and endgame. 

“If a president is going to take a country into war, and risk the lives of American troops and Americans in the region, he has to have a real justification and not one that seems to change every five to 10 hours,” Beshear told CBS News after a Democratic fundraiser in Keene. 

“This President seems to use force before ever trying diplomacy, and he has a duty to sell it to the American people and to address Congress with it,” Beshear continued. “He hasn’t done any of that. In fact, it appears there isn’t even a plan for what success looks like. He’s gone from regime change to strategic objectives and now is talking about unconditional surrender, which isn’t realistic where he is.”

Beshear also said he thought that Congress should have reined in Mr. Trump’s war powers.

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“He is trying to ignore Congress. He’s trying to even ignore the American people,” Beshear said. 

He went on to note that the president’s State of the Union address took place “three — four days before he launched this attack,” and Mr. Trump “didn’t even have the respect to tell the American people the threat that he thought Iran posed to us.” 

Last week, both the House and the Senate failed to pass resolutions to limit Mr. Trump’s war powers and stop him from taking further military action against Iran without congressional support.

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks with voters in Keene, New Hampshire, on March 7, 2026.

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Anne Bryson


For Newsom, the war with Iran constitutes part of a broader criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

At an event last Tuesday in Los Angeles, Newsom had compared Israel to an “apartheid state.” Later, in New Hampshire, he sought to clarify his comment.

“I was specifically referring to a Tom Friedman [New York Times] column last week, where Tom used that word of apartheid as it relates to the direction Bibi is going, particularly on the annexation of the West Bank,” Newsom explained during a book tour event Thursday night in Portsmouth. “I’m very angry, with what he is doing and why he’s doing it, what he’s going to ultimately try to do to the Supreme Court there, what he’s trying to do to save his own political career.” 

Friedman wrote that at the same time that the U.S. and Israel are prosecuting a war in Iran, within Israel, Netanyahu’s government has undertaken efforts to annex the West Bank, driving Palestinians from their homes; fire the attorney general who is leading the prosecution against Netanyahu for corruption; and block the government’s attempt to establish a commission to examine the failures that led up to the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of Jews by Hamas.

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CBS News has reached out to the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment.

On Iran, Newsom said, “I’m very angry about this war, with all due respect, you know, not because I’m angry the supreme leader is dead. Quite the contrary. I’m not naive about the last 37 years of his reign. Forty-seven years since ’79 — the revolution,” Newsom said. “But I’m also mindful that you have a president who still is inarticulate and incapable of giving us the rationale of why? Why now? What’s the endgame?”

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California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with political commentator Jack Cocchiarella at an event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on March 5, 2026.

Anne Bryson


Many attendees at Newsom’s book event said that the situation in Iran is a top-of-mind issue for them, too. Some said they’re “horrified” by what is happening.

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29-year-old Alicia Marr told CBS News she decided to attend Newsom’s event because of his social media response to the war with Iran. 

“There was one spot left, and I decided to pick it up, and it was due to his response to the war, that it is just unacceptable, and I would agree with that,” Marr said.

While some voters like Marr are eager to hear about where potential candidates stand on foreign policy, many at Newsom’s event said they care most about how potential candidates plan to address domestic issues. 

“I’m more focused on getting the middle class back on track and fighting the oligarchy, and I’m less invested in international issues,” said Anita Alden, who also attended Newsom’s event, 

“I wouldn’t call myself America first, but we have so many problems at home that are my priority,” she told CBS News. 

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who may also be weighing another White House bid, told Fox 2 Detroit last week that she “unequivocally opposes” the Trump administration’s military action in Iran and urged Congress to take action. 

“If we want to stop Donald Trump with this random decision that he has arrived at, then Congress must act, and Congress must act immediately. The American people do not want our sons and daughters to go into this unauthorized war of choice,” Harris said. 

Mr. Trump has lashed out against Democrats who have pushed back on his Iran strategy, calling them “losers” last week and arguing that they would criticize any decision he made on Iran.

“If I did it, it’s no good. If I didn’t do it, they would have said the opposite, that you should have done this,” the president said.

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New Hampshire

Mass. man nabbed after allegedly driving over 100 mph in N.H.

Published

20 hours ago

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March 9, 2026

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Mass. man nabbed after allegedly driving over 100 mph in N.H.


Local News

Police say the Attleboro man was driving 104 mph in a 55 mph zone on Route 202 near in Rindge, New Hampshire.

A Massachusetts man was arrested late Wednesday night after police say he was driving more than 100 mph on a New Hampshire roadway. 

Officers with the Rindge Police Department stopped a vehicle shortly after 11 p.m. on Route 202 near Sears Drive in Rindge following a report of a car traveling at excessive speed, according to a statement from Chief Rachel Malynowski. 

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The vehicle, a 2020 Kia Stinger, was spotted traveling at 104 mph in a posted 55 mph zone, Malynowski said. 

The driver, a 21-year-old man from Attleboro, was arrested and charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, according to police. 

He is scheduled to be arraigned April 5. If convicted, the man faces a fine of at least $750, in addition to the court’s penalty assessment, and a 90-day license suspension, Malynowski said. 

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New Hampshire

Bill to outlaw using student IDs to vote clears NH Legislature

Published

1 day ago

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March 9, 2026

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Bill to outlaw using student IDs to vote clears NH Legislature





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