Keene residents and officials grapple with aftermath of local ICE arrests
We hope it's OK to share this article we just published — it seemed like it might be of interest to folks in this community:
Nearly 200 people squeezed into Keene City Hall for a special council meeting Monday night to discuss at least three arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the city last week.
Most of the residents in attendance expressed concern, fear and grief over the presence of ICE in what is usually a quiet city, and asked city leaders to support Keene’s growing population of immigrants.
City officials were sympathetic but cautious about making promises, especially following a directive from the Trump Administration earlier this year that threatens to cut federal funding from so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions.”
In New Hampshire, two state laws passed last year aim to prevent local communities from passing ordinances to stop ICE. Under one new state law, municipalities could lose up to a quarter of their state funding and get sued by the attorney general if they do so.
Have you noticed an increased ICE presence in your community? If so, how do you feel about these changing law enforcement norms? Let us know in the comments or by emailing voices@nhpr.org.