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Public commenter urges due-process review of ICE detainers; reports Senate finance backing for $350,000 in congregate housing funds
Summary
A resident and retired attorney raised constitutional and fiscal concerns about local cooperation with ICE detainers and said the state Senate finance committee had approved $350,000 for a local congregate housing program, though additional legislative steps remain before final approval.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, a resident and retired attorney raised concerns about county law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration detainers and provided an update on state-level funding for a congregate housing program.
The commenter, identified in the record as Mr. Wood (resident; retired attorney), told commissioners he had previously raised questions about the sheriff's office working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and said he delivered a letter to the sheriff on May 23 asking for clarification of procedures and costs. Wood said the principal legal question is whether ICE "detainers" amount to judicial warrants that permit local officers to remove individuals without a judge's review. He cited the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and an August/ March memo from the U.S. attorney general (as discussed in his remarks) and said federal guidance should not supplant an individual's right to see a judge for a status determination. He said, "Everyone in The United States is entitled to due process," and pressed for clarity on what training deputies received and the local costs associated with their ICE-related training and duties.
Wood also provided an update on the congregate housing services program: he said the Senate Finance Committee had approved allocating $350,000 for the Laconia program, but that further legislative steps — a full Senate vote, a joint conference and the governor's signature — remain before funds are final. Commissioners said they would notify county administration if confirmation arrives and asked the commenter to share details if anything changes.
Wood additionally asked about recent cuts to county-funded agency budgets; a commissioner replied the board had lost a vote 9 to 4 on the matter and that budgets for UNH Cooperative Extension, the Belknap County Conservation District and CASA had been cut by 50 percent.
Commissioners did not take formal action on the ICE-related questions during the meeting; Mr. Wood said he had not yet received a reply to his May 23 letter to the sheriff and asked the commissioners to follow up. The board asked staff to inform county administration if the state funding confirmation changed.
