MERRIMACK, N.H. — In documents released by New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s office on Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security revealed new details on a proposed plan to open a 324,000-square-foot regional processing center for immigration detainees in the town of Merrimack.
The documents confirm reports and rampant speculation that indicated a massive warehouse at 50 Robert Milligan Parkway was being eyed as the home of the new United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
The Merrimack facility falls under the federal government’s $38 billion “Detention Reengineering Initiative,” which calls for the acquisition and renovation of eight large-scale detention centers and 16 processing sites, according to the documents. The new detention center model will be funded through Congress’ allocation of funds through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
In an economic impact analysis also shared with Ayotte’s office, DHS estimates it will spend $158 million retrofitting the facility and about $146 million to operate it in the first three years. It would also support 1,252 jobs.
The DHS documents show the Merrimack facility would have 400 to 600 beds and serve as a staging facility for transfers or removals, with detainees staying on site for an average of three to seven days.
Ayotte’s office says it requested the documents after Sen. Maggie Hassan asked Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to cancel the project over “concerns and local oppositionsummary” during a U.S. Senate hearing on Thursday.
“No ma’am. Actually, DHS has worked with Gov. Ayotte, has spoken to the governor about economic impact,” Lyons told Hassan. “We did provide an economic impact summary.”
In a statement, Ayotte said her office has shared the DHS documents with Merrimack town officials.
“After my office inquired about the economic impact study following today’s Senate hearing, DHS has now for the first time distributed the document,” the statement read. “Once the document was received, we immediately shared it with the Town of Merrimack. We are publishing this document on my website for the public to find.”
According to DHS, these regional facilities will provide food, clothing, hygiene products, bedding, and recreational space, as well as offer medical, dental, mental health care, and emergency services for detainees.
The facilities would also house visitation spaces, law libraries, religious and courtroom spaces, mail, phone, and IT services, intake and processing zones, cafeterias, and amenities for ICE and contractor staff, like office spaces and exercise facilities.
There was no immediate word on when work on the Merrimack facility will start, but the feds say they hope to implement the new detention model “by the end of fiscal year 2026.”
On Friday, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey urged Ayotte to “do everything in her power” to block the proposed facility.
“This is outrageous and absolutely the wrong move for New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and our entire region,” Healey said in part in a statement. ”I oppose this in the strongest possible terms, and I am demanding that Governor Ayotte do everything in her power to block a new ICE facility in Southern New Hampshire.”
Healey also denounced ICE deportation tactics, noting that the facility could impact residents of Massachusetts.
“We should be opposing ICE’s tactics, not allowing them to expand. We certainly should not be allowing ICE to build new human warehouses when they can’t be trusted to keep people safe and protect due process,” Healey added.
According to the Washington Post, other regional facilities are planned for Maryland, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, Utah, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota.
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