Thousands of Granite Staters protested the potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Merrimack, N.H., which led to the plan being rejected. Now this victory may be short-lived as the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new secretary Markwayne Mullin did not completely rule out the immigrant detention center in N.H.
Mullin was prompted by U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat, to ensure no detention facility would be built in N.H. or, if he was reconsidering plans, despite his predecessor Kristi Noem’s prior discussions with Gov. Kelly Ayotte.
To our dismay, Mullin was unable to give a clear yes or no answer and used the age-old excuse of being uneducated.
“—I don’t know the strategic purpose of it, I don’t know what has happened. So, it’s hard for me to state something that I haven’t got briefed on,” according to InDepthNH.org
The Equinox believes ambiguous answers from the president’s cabinet persist to keep Americans guessing and out of the loop while they continue to violate the Constitution. Ultimately, our government does not care about the opinion of the people, but only about furthering its selfish agenda.
It is disheartening to say the least that the Merrimack ICE facility is still a consideration. Especially with strong vocal opposition from people across the state of N.H. who deserve full transparency from DHS about something that directly impacts the entire state.
The continued lack of communication between federal and state government officials creates unnecessary worry for Americans and only causes more confusion. The back-and-forth discussion about an ICE facility in the state shows the failure of our government to be by the people, for the people.
Holocaust survivors are living proof that rounding up minority groups and forcing them into labor camps is outright inhumane. We are taught in school about World War II and Nazi Germany to learn from the mistakes of our ancestors. Here at Keene State, we even have an entire program dedicated to Holocaust and genocide studies, yet our closest ally in the Middle East has been credibly accused of committing genocide and the U.S. is seemingly taking a page out of Hitler’s playbook.
This cycle of violence dates back to the very beginning of our country, with the brutal treatment of indigenous people who came before us. The reign of American terror continued with slavery and the internment of Japanese Americans.
As stated many times in previous editorials, The Equinox condemns DHS for all the unlawful actions being carried out by ICE agents on a daily basis against immigrants and protestors. We do not in any way, shape or form support the building of modern-day concentration camps in N.H., New England or anywhere else in the United States.
Tax dollars should fund things like healthcare and education, not “enforcement and removal operations” (ERO). Instead of our money being used to ensure the education of future generations, it is being forcefully removed from those children in the learning environments that are supposed to keep them safe.
Our immigration system is fatally flawed and desperately needs to be reformed. Why continue to trust a system that keeps proving its failure?
When N.H. residents protested against ICE, our state government listened and took action. We must continue to oppose the barbaric treatment of immigrants and any current or proposed detention facilities.
The next upcoming protest will be held Saturday, March 28, in Central Square of Keene from 12-2 p.m. There will also be protests in nearby towns such as Swanzey and Brattleboro, Vt., as well as protests across the state and country.
Your voice always matters, especially at the local level.
