Grossi: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Signing of the ICE Contract

I appreciated Pat Grossmith’s article in the Manchester Ink Link on June 11, 2025, County explores housing ICE detainees at Valley Street jail; sheriff signs ICE enforcement contract.

I live in Hillsborough County, and I am concerned that Sheriff Brian Newcomb has signed a 287g contract with ICE. The explanation of a Task Force Model 287g contract sounds bland and innocent: The Task Force Model serves as a force multiplier for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website).

Having spoken to Sheriff Newcomb by phone, I will paraphrase some of what Sheriff Newcomb told me. Under the 287g contract, his officers would check on the immigration status of people they stop or encounter. If the person has committed a crime, the officers would check on the person’s immigrant status. The commission of a crime could include having been deported and having re-entered the U.S. illegally. If the officers learn that the person has a detainer with ICE, then the officers would turn the person over to ICE. Sheriff Newcomb reassured me that they would only be dealing with criminals. Sheriff Newcomb told me the officers will go through training so that profiling will not occur. He said the 287g contract closed a loophole for his department, though he did not fully explain what the loophole was.

I guess this doesn’t sound bad because this would just involve criminals. Right? In Pat Grossmith’s article Sheriff Newcomb said, “Hopefully, this agreement will help ensure that we are keeping the citizens of Hillsborough County safe.”

If you believe in stereotypes, then you would believe Sheriff Newcomb’s words and be right. This whole contract process reinforces dangerous stereotypes that falsely suggest that immigrants are dangerous and are more likely to be criminals. The officers of the Sheriff’s department can stop someone for a motor vehicle violation. No matter what training occurs because officers are human, I do not see how this contract will avoid profiling and civil rights abuses during that kind of a stop. Law enforcement officers tend to focus on people and communities of color which increase civil rights violations and raise liability issues. When officers see a Brown or Black person or someone who does not speak English or has an accent, the tendency can be to see them as a criminal. According to Pat Grossmith’s article, it is during this kind of a stop that the officer can check with ICE to see if there is a detainer. We all know that many people are being detained by ICE, not because they are criminals. They are being detained because ICE has quotas to fill, and they must deport as many immigrants as possible.

Studies have repeatedly shown that racial profiling increases in communities involved in 287g activities. Task Force Model 287g contracts were discontinued by the federal government in 2012 primarily because they were causing racial profiling and civil rights abuses in those departments that had signed them. Yet, here we are with a 287g contract for Hillsborough County.

Like Sheriff Newcomb, Governor Ayotte is concerned about criminals. She has said, “If we have dangerous people that are in our state, that is a very big concern for State Police —whether they’re here legally or they’re here illegally — so this is really them being able to execute their important functions." I guess that is the same for the Sheriff’s department. What I do know is that we are all from immigrant families. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They are people who came here looking for safety, work, education, and a better life for themselves and their children.

Of course, there is the issue of money. Pat Grossmith’s article touches on this. According to Sheriff Newcomb, there will be no additional costs for the taxpayers. The Sheriff’s department will be responsible for wages, benefits, overtime, equipment, etc. How can there be no extra costs when the officers will be transporting immigrants to jail? Overtime? Transportation? It is difficult to believe that there will not be more motor vehicle stops and more transports because of the 287g contract. What about liability costs? Yes, the Sheriff’s office is acting under the federal government; however, there is no guarantee that the federal government will step in to financially assist the county Sheriff’s office if there are lawsuits. Why is the county paying to do the job of ICE when these officers have enough to do already?

If you are a concerned citizen that lives in Hillsborough County and are worried about the 287g contract that has been signed by the Sheriff’s department and the costs to you as a taxpayer, then please attend the public hearing on the proposed budget held by the Hillsborough County Commission on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 5:00 PM at the Bouchard Building, 329 Mast Road, Goffstown. Speak up and share your concerns.