New Hampshire has officially banned sanctuary cities after Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed House Bill 511 and Senate Bill 62 into law.
The legislation, passed by both chambers of the GOP-controlled legislature, prohibits any municipality from adopting policies that block local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“There will be no sanctuary cities in New Hampshire, period, end of story,” Ayotte declared at Thursday’s bill signing ceremony held at the State Capitol.
Ayotte was joined by state lawmakers and law enforcement officials, who have been pushing for the bills since the start of the legislative session.
The new law ensures that local and state police cannot be barred from sharing information or working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Ayotte said the legislation fulfills one of her key campaign promises and draws a clear line between New Hampshire and its southern neighbor, Massachusetts.
“I said from the beginning that we won’t let our state go the way of Massachusetts and their billion-dollar illegal immigrant crisis,” Ayotte stated.
She added, “Today, we’re delivering on our promise by banning sanctuary cities and supporting law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.”
Ayotte previously served as New Hampshire’s attorney general and as a U.S. Senator from 2011 to 2017, as Trending Politics reported.
During her gubernatorial campaign, she repeatedly warned that Democratic immigration policies in nearby states were putting public safety and budgets at risk.
Her slogan, “Don’t Mass up New Hampshire,” was used frequently to highlight Massachusetts’ handling of illegal immigration.
“I campaigned on making sure we would not have sanctuary cities here in New Hampshire,” Ayotte told Fox News. “We don’t want to go the way of Massachusetts.”
While Ayotte emphasized that she supports legal immigration, she described sanctuary city policies as unlawful and dangerous.
“New Hampshire is ranked the safest state in the nation,” she said. “I was glad I was able to sign the bill banning sanctuary cities to make sure we remain that way.”
State Sen. Bill Gannon (R), the legislation’s top sponsor in the Senate, said the law makes the state “an even safer place to work, live, and raise a family.”
In the House, State Rep. Joe Sweeney (R) led efforts to advance the bill, saying the law would free up police to do their jobs.
“We are taking the handcuffs off our law enforcement officers,” Sweeney said, “and hopefully they’ll be able to work with our federal government, ICE, to put the handcuffs on the criminal illegal aliens.”
The New Hampshire Municipal Association confirmed that no official sanctuary cities currently exist in the state.
However, a handful of towns have labeled themselves as “welcoming cities,” which state Republicans see as a potential loophole for future sanctuary policies.
Republicans argued that those policies could be the first step toward full-fledged sanctuary city declarations.
With Thursday’s signing, New Hampshire became the 11th state in the U.S. to explicitly ban sanctuary cities through legislation.
Supporters say the law will prevent liberal-leaning cities from undermining federal immigration enforcement.
The new law also aligns with President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.
Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order to pull federal funding from states that allow sanctuary cities.
The governor’s office confirmed that enforcement of the law begins immediately.
Republican lawmakers have promised continued legislative efforts to ensure that New Hampshire remains aligned with federal immigration policy.
