More details: Boston Globe, Feb. 3, 2026:

MERRIMACK, N.H. — The federal government is looking to buy a massive warehouse in southern New Hampshire and convert it into a regional “processing center” for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees, according to newly released public records.

The US Department of Homeland Security has not publicly confirmed its plans for the 43-acre property at 50 Robert Milligan Parkway in Merrimack, N.H., but records obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire and released Tuesday revealed that DHS shared detailed site plans for the facility with a state agency in January.

The address for the 324,000-square-foot warehouse had been circulated in recent weeks in unconfirmed documents that a Democratic state lawmaker shared on social media, amid mounting public concern and opposition.

The plans for a warehouse-style ICE detention facility in Merrimack were first reported by The Washington Post in December, as part of the government’s broader effort to expand detention capacity with a nationwide network of ICE facilities.

The facility in Merrimack — the only New England site mentioned in the report — would be one of 16 smaller “processing sites,” with capacity for 500 to 1,500 beds apiece, according to the Post. The plan calls for those sites to feed into seven large-scale detention centers, with capacity for 5,000 to 10,000 beds apiece.

Governor Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, told reporters last Wednesday she still had not received confirmation of the facility coming to New Hampshire. But the newly released records show that a state agency had already been formally notified of key details in the federal government’s plan.

After the documents were released Tuesday, Ayotte’s office accused the department of failing to keep her team informed.

“It is entirely unacceptable that the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources failed to share this information with the Governor’s office,” spokesperson John Corbett said in a statement, after the Globe asked when Ayotte had learned of ICE’s proposal.

“Clearly, the Department of Homeland Security is actively pursuing the use of this property without communicating with all stakeholders,” Corbett said, adding that his office will continue to insist that DHS communicate with officials in Merrimack about the facility.

John Stephen, a Republican member of the five-person New Hampshire Executive Council, said Tuesday he suspects one or more state employees “leaked” information to the ACLU instead of sharing it with the governor.

“If true, that is not a failure of process. ... It is a gross dereliction of duty and a betrayal of the people of this state,” Stephen said in a statement calling for Commissioner Sarah Stewart to answer questions about what transpired.

“The Department failed to inform the Governor’s Office of this significant request, and I, as Commissioner, take full responsibility for this failure of process within my agency,” Stewart said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

She said division directors are supposed to notify her of any right to know requests so she can review them for “any matters potentially significant to the state.”

“I have reminded my team to notify me of requests of this nature, so I am positioned to review them and alert the Governor’s Office on all sensitive matters,” she said.

The newly released documents show that DHS officials were in contact with the state agency at least as early as Jan. 9. That’s when DHS sent a letter to a program specialist at the New Hampshire State Historic Preservation Office, which is part of the state’s Division of Historical Resources within the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The letter was meant to initiate consultation on a DHS proposal to “purchase, occupy and rehabilitate a 43-acre warehouse property in support of ICE operations” in Merrimack, wrote Gabrielle Fernandez, an environmental protection specialist at the Department of Homeland Security.

The letter said that tents and a guard shack may be installed at the site in Merrimack, in addition to other improvements to parking, fencing, lighting, and cameras.

And, it said, the interior of the structure might be renovated or rebuilt to support ICE operational requirements, such as “holding and processing spaces, office space, public-facing visitor spaces, and installation of amenities, such as cafeterias, bathrooms, and health care spaces.”

The letter also includes maps and photos illustrating the site’s location, as well as a proposed site plan.

On Jan. 21, the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources sent a letter noting it had reviewed the project under state and federal historical preservation laws and found that it would not affect any known historic resources.

No trespassing signs block the driveway to the massive warehouse at 50 Robert Milligan Parkway in Merrimack, trespassing signs block the driveway to the massive warehouse at 50 Robert Milligan Parkway in Merrimack, N.H.STEVEN PORTER

The site in Merrimack has been the subject of increased scrutiny after the address became public. The driveway leading to the industrial warehouse was blocked Monday evening by sawhorses and “no trespassing” signs, warning curious onlookers to keep off the private property or face prosecution. A private security guard was dispatched to the scene as well, keeping a watchful eye as a reporter stood just beyond the outer perimeter.

The building itself is tucked behind the tree line, hidden from view for those standing at its entrance. At night, bright lights illuminate its massive size. The building alone is 324,000 square feet, bigger than five-and-a-half football fields.