The battleground state of New Hampshire has officially banned the creation of “sanctuary cities,” which obstruct immigration enforcement by preventing local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The measure was enacted after both chambers of the state legislature voted in favor of the ban.
“There will be no sanctuary cities in New Hampshire, period, end of story,” Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte said following a bill signing ceremony at the State Capitol on Thursday.The governor signed House Bill 511 and Senate Bill 62, which ban sanctuary cities and promote collaboration between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
“I said from the beginning that we won’t let our state go the way of Massachusetts and their billion-dollar illegal immigrant crisis. Today, we’re delivering on our promise by banning sanctuary cities and supporting law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. New Hampshire will never be a sanctuary for criminals, and we will keep working every day to remain the safest state in the nation,” Ayotte, a former U.S. senator, added.
Banning sanctuary cities was a key campaign promise for Governor Kelly Ayotte, who previously served as New Hampshire’s attorney general before representing the state in the U.S. Senate from 2011 to 2017. Throughout her campaign, Ayotte frequently criticized neighboring Massachusetts and its permissive immigration policies, using the slogan “Don’t Mass up New Hampshire” to underscore her stance.
“I campaigned on making sure we would not have sanctuary cities here in New Hampshire, and we don’t want to go the way of Massachusetts that has had a billion-dollar illegal immigration crisis,” the governor told Fox News.
Ayotte supports legal immigration but describes sanctuary city policies as a clear violation of federal law and a potential danger to public safety. “New Hampshire is ranked the safest state in the nation, and I was glad I was able to sign the bill banning sanctuary cities to make sure we remain that way,” she added.
