RIGHT-TO-KNOW REQUEST - SELECTMEN INTERVENTION AND POTENTIAL RISKS - LOCAL PD OPERATIONS - FORM 287G AGREEMENT WITH ICE.

JUNE 23, 2025, HAMPTON BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING

As a former selectman and 45-year resident of Hampton, I was a little taken aback by certain board of selectmen members asking the town manager to encourage the Hampton police chief to NOT sign the federal Form 287G agreement with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 added Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) — authorizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight."

https://www.ice.gov/identify-and-arrest/287g

The town manager, a former police chief himself, did state publicly that recommending such is NOT within the purview of Selectmen authorities. 

HINT: The Board SHOULD NEVER regulate how the Hampton police chief carries out his duties enforcing local, state, and federal law.

I was also taken aback by how none of the other , longer serving members of the Board spoke up about what the town manager had warned.

Due to this recent selectmen discussion and the recent happenings that were dealt with on state property (Hampton Beach State Park) Tuesday evening, I have the following Right-to-Know request regarding any discussions or communications between board members and/or local and state entities regarding the risks of NOT signing the Form 287 G agreement with ICE.

Per RSA 91-

A:4 IV(c) “IV. (a) Each public body or agency shall, upon request for any governmental record reasonably described, make available for inspection and copying any such governmental record within its files when such records are immediately available for such release.(b) If a public body or agency is unable to make a governmental record available for immediate inspection and copying the public body or agency shall, within 5 business days of a request:(1) Make such record available; (2) Deny the request; or (3) Provide a written statement of the time reasonably necessary to determine whether the request shall be granted or denied and the reason for the delay.

(c) A public body or agency denying, in whole or part, inspection or copying of any record shall provide a written statement of the specific exemption authorizing the withholding of the record and a brief explanation of how the exemption applies to the record withheld.”  Chapter 91-A ACCESS TO GOVERNMENTAL RECORDS AND MEETINGS (state.nh.us)

1. Email traffic between BOS members/ TM/ Democratic Party/ HPD Chief,

2. Cell Phone Data,

3. Meetings to Discuss,

4. Specific detail in when, where and how TM was informed of this effort,

5. Legal duties and responsibilities of TM to supervise ALl TOH Dept heads,

6. Legal precedence in Hampton of BOS interference with Department Heads,

7. NHMA legal advice to BOS, and 

8. Notification of TOH insurance liability carrier of BOS direction of Department Heads and assumption of liability for any injury to citizens, taxpayers and first responders if 287 is rescinded and harm ensues.

Please let me know when these records are available / or posted to the website, you may also email copies of the records to nhmuckraker1776@yahoo.com.  Thank you for your lawful attention to this matter.