Reps. Chris Pappas (D-New Hampshire) and Maggie Goodlander (D-New Hampshire) plan to introduce a companion bill in the House. “Our new bill responds directly to the concerns we’ve heard from local officials in towns like Merrimack, New Hampshire, and across the country,” Shaheen said in a statement. The bill would prohibit DHS from setting up new processing sites or detention centers unless local officials and the state’s governor sign off. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) relayed local officials’ concerns about a proposed facility in his state to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem earlier this month. Democrats appear to have had less success in pushing back on the administration’s plans to build new detention centers and processing sites.

Source: Washington Post February 23, 2026 17:31 UTC