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Merrimack, N.H., residents watch warehouse listed as possible ICE facility
“I believe they’re moving forward on this,” said state Representative Rosemarie Rung of the Trump administration’s plan to accelerate deportations.
The long, grey nondescript warehouse is just a stone’s throw from the Everett Turnpike in Merrimack, N.H.
It’s been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent days, after the address was listed in a document that purportedly shows warehouse space being considered by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants.
State Representative Rosemarie Rung, a Merrimack Democrat, shared the document on social media this week, igniting a fresh wave of local interest and concern.
Rung, who is opposed to an ICE warehouse in Merrimack, told the Globe she believes the document is credible.
“I believe they’re moving forward on this,” she said.
New Hampshire residents have been clamoring for information about ICE’s plans in the state, after a Washington Post report in December named Merrimack as the possible site of an industrial warehouse that could be renovated to house immigrant detainees.
The Merrimack location was identified in the Post’s reporting as one of 23 around the country that would be part of a sweeping Trump administration plan to speed up deportations.
The report already prompted several hundred protesters to appear at a Jan. 8 Town Council meeting. Now, some residents are focusing their attention on the Merrimack address thathas been circulated: 50 Robert Milligan Parkway.
Merrimack resident Karen Hewes said when she attempted to drive by the facility on Friday, a private security guard told her she was not allowed to proceed.
The building is owned by the Trammel Crow Company. A spokesperson for the company did not reply to a request for comment.
The document Rung shared included a few other details: the 324,395-square-foot facility would contain 500 beds, and a site visit was scheduled on Jan. 12. It’s not clear if the visit took place.
A spokesperson for ICE acknowledged the agency is actively working to expand its detention capacity, but did not confirm the document’s authenticity or the details included in it.
Asked about the reported warehouse locations, the spokesperson said, “These will not be warehouses — they will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards.”
“It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the US and is actively working to expand detention space,” the spokesperson said, noting these efforts are funded by Trump’s tax and spending law, the One Big Beautiful Bill.
But, the spokesperson said, “We have no new detention centers to announce at this time.”
Local officials are still seeking information.
A bulletin on the town of Merrimack’s website said they are looking to verify the validity of the document circulated by Rung with state and federal officials.
Local police said they have been keeping an eye on the warehouse.
“Once that address was leaked, we told officers to keep an eye on the property,” said Merrimack Police Chief Brian Levesque.
He said the patrols were not requested by ICE, and the town has not received any indication about ICE’s plans.
A spokesperson for Governor Kelly Ayotte did not return a request for comment.
Some of the details on the document Rung shared have been confirmed in local news reports from around the country, like the location and timing of an ICE visit in Kansas City, Mo., and Roxbury, N.J.
A DHS advisory confirmed the number of detainees and the address of a warehouse in Chester, N.Y., also are listed in the document.
Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.
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