Immigrant advocates fight anti-sanctuary city bill
Apr. 17—CONCORD — Opponents got one of their final chances Wednesday to make the case in public against the state Senate-endorsed ban on sanctuary city policies in New Hampshire.
The New Hampshire Immigration Network with more than 200 individuals has opposed the measure since its inception.
"There simply are no sanctuary cities in New Hampshire. We believe this is an intentional misnomer meant to generate alarm about a non-existent false problem," said Maggie Fogarty, program director with the American Friends Service Committee.
Sen. Bill Gannon, R-Sandown, said he pursued the bill in part because Hanover, Lebanon and Harrisville have "welcoming ordinances" that do not require law enforcement officials to cooperate with federal officials who have a request to detain someone believed to be here illegally.
Gannon insisted the bill doesn't require local police to do the job of federal Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE).
"We are asking them to make a phone call, that's all there is. Call Homeland Security? Is this a bad hombre or not," Gannon said.
"We are not asking police to go and enforce federal laws."
The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee hosted what was to have been the final public hearing on the bill (SB 563) the Senate approved last month along partisan lines, 14-10, with all Republicans for and all Democrats against.
Police chiefs in Manchester, Nashua, Dover, Portsmouth, Merrimack and Hudson have all said the bill is unnecessary.
Bill opponents said police generally work with federal officials when they have someone in jail for a state crime who's believed to be here illegally, but they should not have to provide information about someone who is the subject of a civil immigration detainer.
Sponsor: Bill is narrowly drafted
Gannon said he amended the bill so that those who witness or are victims of crime would not be covered under the proposal.
"We don't want New Hampshire to become like Massachusetts, New York and these other states," Gannon said.
Shari Rendall with the Federation of American Immigration Reform said the bill is narrowly drawn.
"It only says that cooperation (with federal officials) cannot be prohibited," Rendall said.
Gilles Bissonnette, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, said the language requires local police to use "best efforts" in cooperating with federal authorities.
Calling it "extremely broad," Bissonnette said it could be interpreted to compel local police to detain someone until ICE officials can get there.
"This is a mandate that local police do the (government's) bidding with respect to federal immigration enforcement," Bissonnette said.
The coalition opposing the bill includes the conservative New Hampshire Liberty Alliance along with the New Hampshire Municipal Association, he said.
Eva Castillo, an advocate for immigrants from Manchester, said New Hampshire lacks the infrastructure to house those who have come here without documentation.
"We do not tell the captain of a plane how to fly a plane. Why do we have to tell the police how to do their work?" Castillo asked rhetorically.
House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee Chairman Terry Roy, R-Deerfield, has authored an amendment to add to the bill which would seemingly outlaw the practice of squatting — people coming to illegally occupy someone's private property while the owner is away.
Anyone who illegally occupied someone's property without permission would be guilty of the misdemeanor offense of criminal trespass under Roy's amendment.
