The towns of Auburn and Troy, New Hampshire, have set up “task force agreements” with ICE. According to the Boston Globe, they let the local police ” interrogate people suspected of being present in the country illegally and arrest those accused of violating immigration laws.” The ICE standard of “suspicion” includes looking foreign or speaking with a foreign accent. Accusation (by whom?) is an abnormally low bar for arrest; probable cause is normally required. The Troy police have made at least a dozen arrests for ICE. The towns of Colebrook and Carroll, in the northern part of the state, also have entered agreements with ICE, as have the New Hampshire State Police.

ICE is secretive about exactly how it trains these agencies to act. The New Hampshire ACLU has filed a lawsuit to get that information.

If your looks or accent might arouse “suspicion” in a cop, you may want to avoid these towns. Troy is south of Keene, and NH Route 12 passes through it. It’s not a major route, and there are other ways to travel between Keene and points south.

Auburn is a bigger concern. Route 101, the most important east-west route in New Hampshire, passes through the town. Auburn police chief Charles Chabot has said that his cops will be on the lookout on Route 101. In addition, Route 121 goes through Auburn between Chester and Hooksett. If you’re at risk, you may want to find another route or at least be prepared. Many of the precautions for attending a protest also apply when going through areas of high ICE risk.

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