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Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
New Hampshire Bans Sanctuary Cities
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New Hampshire's Republican Governor Kelly A. Ayotte has signed into law two bills that ban sanctuary city policies and promote cooperation between state law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities. On Thursday, Ayotte signed both House Bill 511 and Senate Bill 62, making New Hampshire the first state in New England to ban sanctuary jurisdictions. "I said from the beginning that we won't let our state go the way of Massachusetts and their billion-dollar illegal immigrant crisis," Governor Ayotte said. However, Amanda Azad, Policy Director at the ACLU of New Hampshire, told Newsweek, in part, "Law enforcement in New Hampshire should not detain anyone without due process – but that's what these laws may encourage." Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte waves while arriving with her husband Joseph Daley during her inauguration at the State House, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Concord, New Hampshire. Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte waves while arriving with her husband Joseph Daley during her inauguration at the State House, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Concord, New Hampshire. Charles Krupa/AP Why It Matters The move will theoretically make it easier for the White House to carry out its plans to remove millions of undocumented immigrants. Many Democrats view sanctuary cities as a matter of human rights, while Republicans argue they are safe havens for people who entered the U.S. illegally. Sanctuary cities are jurisdictions that limit or refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in the arrest of undocumented immigrants. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April directing federal and state officials to compile lists of so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions. The order directs the government to identify federal funds that can be withheld as a penalty for cities that enforce sanctuary policies. What To Know "There will be no sanctuary cities in New Hampshire, period. End of story," Ayotte said at a press conference Thursday. Ayotte, a former New Hampshire attorney general and U.S. senator, made opposition to sanctuary cities a central issue in her 2024 gubernatorial campaign. Her platform contrasted New Hampshire's approach to immigration policy with that of neighboring Massachusetts, which she criticized for its more lenient stance. Ayotte vowed to ban sanctuary cities before the gubernatorial election, delivering on a key campaign pledge. "This is something we ran on to make sure that New Hampshire would not go the way of Massachusetts and their billion-dollar illegal immigration crisis," Ayotte said. She stood alongside Republican lawmakers, law enforcement officials, and signs bearing her campaign slogan 'Don't Mass up New Hampshire.' "We are sending a clear message to the state of New Hampshire today that if you're in this nation illegally, you are not welcome in the state of New Hampshire," said Representative Joe Sweeney, who introduced the bill in the state legislator. Across the aisle, some state Democrats in New Hampshire, who opposed the measure, expressed deep concern. "What this bill does, under the guise of enabling New Hampshire law enforcement to support federal immigration efforts, is to make our state a willing accomplice in a politically manufactured campaign of state terrorism against a group of people, the vast majority of whom came here not to victimize America, but because they love America and they believe America is good," state Rep. David Meuse told reporters. House Bill 511 and Senate Bill 62 are set to take effect in early 2026 and aim to increase state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. HB 511 mandates that local and state law enforcement agencies comply with immigration detainers for inmates and prohibits policies that would obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The bill also prevents authorities from withholding immigration-related information about individuals in custody. It includes exceptions for certain individuals who have been victims or witnesses of crimes, and it limits law enforcement's ability to investigate an inmate's citizenship status under specific circumstances. SB 62 similarly restricts local governments from interfering with state or federal immigration enforcement activities. It authorizes the state attorney general to take legal action against jurisdictions that violate the law. Additionally, it permits county corrections departments to hold individuals for up to 48 hours after state charges are resolved, allowing time to transfer detainees into ICE custody. The bill also reinforces the ability of state and local agencies to enter into formal agreements with ICE under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which enables designated officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions. The legislation bars local jurisdictions from prohibiting participation in such agreements. No towns in New Hampshire have officially adopted a sanctuary designation, although cities like Lebanon and Nashua have implemented "welcoming" policies. What People Are Saying Governor Ayotte said in a press release: "Today, we're delivering on our promise by banning sanctuary cities and supporting law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. New Hampshire will never be a sanctuary for criminals, and we will keep working every day to remain the safest state in the nation." State Rep. Sweeney said in a post on X: "We are doing everything we can to keep New Hampshire safe." Amanda Azad, Policy Director at the ACLU of New Hampshire, told Newsweek: "Law enforcement in New Hampshire should not detain anyone without due process – but that's what these laws may encourage. Police should not be aiding in federal immigration enforcement by executing ICE detainers - which are not signed by a judge and do not go through due process. These harmful actions by police would be embracing cruelty and sowing seeds of distrust between local communities and law enforcement." What Happens Next The legislation will come into effect next year.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Ayotte signs two anti-sanctuary city bills into law
Gov. Kelly Ayotte signs Senate Bill 62 into law Thursday. The bill was one of two aimed at preventing so-called sanctuary cities in New Hampshire. (Photo by William Skipworth/New Hampshire Bulletin) Flanked by conservative lawmakers and sheriffs from around the state, Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed two anti-sanctuary city bills into law in New Hampshire on Thursday, fulfilling a campaign promise she and several of her Republican colleagues in the Legislature made during the fall. 'There will be no sanctuary cities in New Hampshire,' Ayotte said. 'Period. End of story.' The bills — House Bill 511 and Senate Bill 62 — seek to prevent so-called sanctuary cities, or localities that have laws hindering local law enforcement from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement or federal immigration laws. When it goes into effect in January, HB 511 will require New Hampshire municipalities to comply with ICE immigration detainers 'if safe to do so,' prohibit policies ignoring federal immigration-related directives and authorities, and forbid local law enforcement from investigating whether someone in their custody is a citizen, unless that person in under investigation for violating New Hampshire law. SB 62, which also goes into effect in January (though it creates legal definitions that become law in July), will take away state or local governments' authority to prohibit their affiliated law enforcement entities from entering into voluntary agreements with ICE. Speaking to reporters at the bill signing ceremony, Ayotte invoked comparisons to neighboring Massachusetts. Bay State Gov. Maura Healey has denied that her state is a sanctuary state but the Center for Immigration Studies includes it in their list of 13 sanctuary states. 'This is something we ran on to make sure that New Hampshire would not go the way of Massachusetts,' she said, 'and their billion-dollar illegal immigration crisis.' Ayotte also boasted that New Hampshire is 'the safest state in the nation' and said 'we're going to continue to be that and this is a big step forward.' U.S. News and World Report ranked New Hampshire No. 1 among all states for public safety. It ranked reported sanctuary states Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut in the top 10 as well. Ayotte's fellow conservatives praised her at the ceremony for tackling the right's priorities. 'I look at the governor and I think, wow,' state Sen. Bill Gannon, a Sandown Republican, said. 'She made promises. She kept them. She did that with bail reform. Check. Sanctuary city bills today. Check.' Rep. Joe Sweeney, a Salem Republican and House Majority Leader, who has been aggressive in pushing for legislation addressing undocumented immigration said: 'We are sending a clear message to the state of New Hampshire today that if you're in this nation illegally, you are not welcome in the state of New Hampshire.' This comes amid a controversial immigration agenda for the federal government led by President Donald Trump. That includes a slew of deportations and detainments of student activists protesting Israel's war in Gaza, a group of Venezuelan migrants sent to a notoriously brutal El Salvador prison, and Europeans, including a Nashua German-American man and a number of tourists, being detained for weeks.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two fire bills signed by Governor, two others see vetoes
Fire crews work on the Horse Gulch fire near Helena on July 15, 2024 (Photo courtesy of Northern Rockies Incident Command). Gov. Greg Gianforte made decisions on four firefighting laws this week, signing two bills and vetoing two others. The two bills Gianforte signed — House Bills 84 and 421 — dealt with wildland firefighting. The two he vetoed, House Bill 511 and House Bill 547, would have added $5 million in funding for local fire departments and another seeking to change a law preventing coordinated fire response in consolidated governments. HB 84, called the Prescribed Fire Manager Certification and Liability Act, creates a certification program and outlines who is liable if a prescribed fire gets out of control. In 2022, a prescribed fire in New Mexico did, becoming the state's largest in history. The program will including training for fire managers and that their certification standards must match other states and organizations. A certified prescribed fire manager will only be able to be held liable for a wildfire getting out of control if, their actions 'constituted negligence or a higher degree of fault.' Fire scientists and proponents of HB 84 — brought by Rep. Steve Gist, R-Cascade — have pointed to prescribed fires as an important forestry management tool. 'I know it seems counterintuitive to fight fire with more fire, but the science is clear,' said Mike Schaedel, representing The Nature Conservancy and member of the state's prescribed fire council. 'It's the best tool we have. We know what wildfires can do without prescribed fire. They damage our forests and all those values we hold dear. This bill protects our forests. It enables private landowners to manage their lands in a safe and effective way that keeps people working in the woods.' Land management practices in the United States have led to some forests being overgrown and at risk for more intense wildfires, said proponents of the bill. 'To address the current forest health and wildland fire crisis, we need to get on this,' Gist said during a Senate hearing on his bill. 'We need to do prescribed fire. We need to do fuel mitigation followed up with prescribed fire. Prescribed fire is one tool of doing fuels reduction. It's essential.' HB 421, also sponsored by Gist, increased fire protection fees for land classified as forest from $50 to $58.70 for each landowner in a wildland fire protection district. For landowners with more than 20 acres of land, there's an additional fee per acre which increased from $0.30 to $0.49. The two vetoed bills were brought by Anaconda Democrat Rep. Scott DeMarois, who is a career firefighter. HB 511 would have taken $5 million from the general fund and directed it to a special revenue account for dispersion to local governments via grants. The money would have gone to training facilities. 'Training with the right equipment gives us critical knowledge of fire behavior and response techniques, along with that 3 a.m. muscle memory that saves lives,' DeMarois said in a press release. 'With this veto, Governor Gianforte has shown us that he doesn't really stand with first responders, and doesn't really care about protecting firefighters or the communities that we put their lives on the line to defend.' Gianforte's veto letter pointed to the state needing a balanced budget and said instead of grants, should look at creating a low-interest loan program. 'The budget and other bills with hefty price tags that the Legislature passed, however, are not fiscally responsible,' the veto letter reads. 'Therefore, I will keenly review the budget and spending bills the Legislature passed, making some difficult decisions to protect taxpayers and their hard-earned resources.' The Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department also saw a setback in the form of a veto on HB 547. Due to a decision made in the 1970s to create a consolidated city-county government — only used by Butte and Anaconda — the Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department hasn't been able to coordinate as well with its outlying volunteer fire departments. The bill would have struck a clause and replaced it with language that said, 'The fire department of the municipality must have a director of fire service or a fire chief, who shall manage and control the department in the manner prescribed by the ordinances of the municipality.' Proponents said that would fix the problem. Butte-Silver Bow officials and firefighters lined up in support of the bill. 'We have great volunteers that work in Butte-Silver Bow, and this is not to take anything away from them,' J.P. Gallagher, Butte-Silver Bow chief executive said during a Senate hearing on the bill. 'The director of Fire Services works directly for me and within the powers that are directed to the director of fire services, he has the ability to coordinate those services, but the unintended consequences of 1979 kind of stripped him of that ability to coordinate services.' Members of rural fire associations across the state spoke against the bill during House and Senate hearings. Opponents included Jerry Brothers, who is the vice president of both the Montana State Volunteer Fire Association and of the National Volunteer Firefighters Association. 'We did not have a voice in the system at all,' Brothers said during the bill's Senate hearing. DeMarois said during his Senate testimony the change would only impact the state's two consolidated city-county governments, but Gianforte, a Republican, disagreed in his veto letter. 'House Bill 547 raises more questions than it answers, and it introduces instability into the operations of rural fire districts, the backbone of Montana's emergency network,' the veto letter reads. 'Ultimately, House Bill 547 erodes the reliability and strength of rural fire protection throughout our state, while appearing to provide a one-sided resolution to a dispute within one consolidated government.'
