Several more local law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire have started collaborating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to perform immigration checks across the state.

The agreement means local law enforcement officers can carry out federal immigration enforcement, including conducting stops to question and detain immigrants based on their status. 

The Belknap County Sheriff’s Office, Grafton County Sheriff’s Office, Gorham Police Department, Ossipee Police Department, Pittsburg Police Department and Colebrook Police Department have all been approved for 287(g) agreements with ICE, joining a national task force to increase immigration enforcement efforts.

An application from the New Hampshire State Police to join the task force model is still pending. 

With these agreements, local officers now have the authority to arrest people for immigration violations and transport them to ICE-approved detention centers.

Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire confirmed that the federal prison in Berlin has started holding immigrants detained by ICE.

“It is harrowing to imagine that people facing civil - not criminal - charges are being sent to a medium-security federal prison in the northernmost city in the entire state, isolated from their family, advocates, and potential legal services," said Gilles Bissonnette, Legal Director at the ACLU of NH in a statement "We are outraged that New Hampshire is being used for this cruelty and we have strong concerns about the conditions that will exist for hundreds of these immigrants and how they will be treated in this prison." 

The ACLU of NH confirmed that at least one ICE detainee is currently held at the facility, according to the public ICE database.

The Strafford County Jail in Dover has been serving as an ICE detention center for over 20 years, but only for individuals who are also facing criminal charges in addition to an immigration violation. 

Last month, Governor Kelly Ayotte encouraged local law enforcement to cooperate with federal authorities.

As part of the task force model, during routine encounters such as traffic stops, officers are authorized to question individuals they suspect may be in the U.S. illegally and address any immigration violations, according to ICE’s application for law enforcement agencies interested in joining the partnership.

Editor’s note: This story will be updated as more local law enforcement agencies reach agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.