As the state Senate prepared to take its final votes approving a ban on sanctuary city policies Thursday, Majority Leader Regina Birdsell (R-Hampstead) reminded her colleagues how long it had taken them to get to this moment.
“In 2016, I cosponsored a House bill, along with the good senator from District 12 (Kevin Avard) and then Rep. Sullivan, to prohibit sanctuary cities in New Hampshire. We’ve had the same debate almost every year since,” Birdsell said.
“When federal authorities present an immigration detainer, New Hampshire police departments should honor that and not help illegal immigrants evade the law. I never thought this would be controversial. I never thought it would take us nearly a decade to get this through.”
But it did, and over the unanimous objections of Senate Democrats, who’ve spent nearly a decade opposing increased immigration enforcement in New Hampshire.
As a result, Granite State Republicans won two victories on Thursday. They passed legislation they’ve been working on for years, and they gave Democrats the opportunity to repeatedly show their support for a sanctuary city policy that’s wildly unpopular with New Hampshire voters.
The Senate approved the final versions of two bills. One outlaws illegal immigration-friendly “sanctuary city” policies, and another gives law enforcement the ability to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement — even if their local politicians object.
“Sanctuary city policies have devastated communities in states across the nation, but New Hampshire won’t be following suit,” said Sen. Bill Gannon (R-Sandown), who sponsored the sanctuary city ban. “My colleagues and I voted to pass two bills banning this practice, which we’ve worked tirelessly on for the safety of our state. These proactive efforts will keep illegal criminals out of New Hampshire and help ensure the safety of Granite Staters.”
Knowing the end was near — the GOP has a 16-8 supermajority in the Senate — Democrats still made a rhetorical last stand before the votes.
“Let’s be clear: No human being is illegal,” said Sen. Tara Reardon (D-Concord), using a slogan popular among open-borders advocates.
“People may lack documents, but that does not strip them of their humanity, dignity, or their right to fair treatment and due process… Communities like ours should not be put in the position of enabling mass deportations or detentions that go against our values and ignore our legal and social systems. We all want safe and strong communities, but that safety must be rooted in justice and compassion,” Reardon added.
Granite State Democrats have struggled to deal with the illegal immigration issue. For years, they nearly unanimously opposed any increased immigration enforcement or state spending to bolster protections at the northern border. After their party’s drubbing in November — losing the White House, Congress, and the New Hampshire State House — Democrats suddenly switched direction, flip-flopping on sanctuary cities and overwhelmingly backing an early House bill.
But just as suddenly, they reversed course again, returning to their anti-enforcement stance. Only one Democrat in the entire state legislature voted for the final versions of HB 511 and SB 71, which now head to Gov. Kelly Ayotte to be signed into law.
Ayotte campaigned on her opposition to sanctuary policies and says she’s happy to have New Hampshire join 14 other states that have banned them.
“By banning sanctuary cities, we’re ensuring New Hampshire doesn’t go the way of Massachusetts and their billion-dollar illegal immigrant crisis. Thank you to the House and Senate for sending these bills to my desk. Together, we’re keeping our great state the safest in the nation,” Ayotte said.
Republicans told NHJournal on background they couldn’t believe their good fortune on the immigration issue. With a tough 2026 cycle ahead, Democrats have given the GOP a gift by letting it own the immigration enforcement issue.
“When is being on the side of criminals ever smart politics?” one GOP House member told NHJournal.
As if on cue, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announced Thursday an illegal alien and convicted felon had been arrested in Somersworth for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
“Vongpasith Khamvongsa, 45, a Laotian national unlawfully residing in Somersworth, was indicted on charges of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm,” according to a statement.
Polls show voters in New Hampshire and nationwide oppose sanctuary city policies by a two-to-one or three-to-one margin, and they overwhelmingly support deporting illegal immigrants. Granite State Democrats at both the federal and state levels believe illegal immigrants should not be deported unless they’ve committed an additional, serious crime.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports enforcing immigration laws, 13 states have sanctuary policies. Four of them (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont) are in New England. That makes New Hampshire’s new law even more impressive, says CIS’s Mark Krikorian.
“New Hampshire’s citizens will be safer because of the ban on sanctuary policies. Every crime committed by someone who has no right to be in this country could have been prevented by proper immigration enforcement, and that requires cooperation between federal, state, and local agencies,” Krikorian told NHJournal.
“It’s now up to the governor and his people to make sure this is enforced, and that local police and county jails don’t get away with implementing stealth sanctuary policies.”
