KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Keene Mayor Jay Kahn addressed recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city during an interview Wednesday on WKBK Radio’s “Good Morning with Dan Mitchell,” saying local officials have limited information about federal operations and limited authority over them.

Kahn said ICE activity occurred over the weekend and continued into Monday, but the city was not given details about what federal agents intended to do.

“They don’t report to the city police or to the city,” Kahn said. “So as they wish to have a presence in Keene, they’re going to do so as they would to any other community in our region.”

Kahn said he was not notified in advance that ICE would be in Keene. He said Police Chief Steven Stewart was informed that ICE agents would have a presence in the city, but that notification did not include details about specific enforcement actions.

“They were informed that a [ICE] presence would be in the city sometime in the next day or whatever. That’s really about it,” Kahn said.

The mayor said much of what he learned about the activity came from residents and community members rather than through the police department. He said he heard from people who were upset about what had occurred, including residents who had been attending church services.

Reports circulating in the community indicated that an Ecuadorian man had been detained. Kahn said he did not know the man’s name or his current status and that the information available to him came through community contacts.

Mayor Rejects Claims Of Police Cooperation

Kahn also addressed rumors that the Keene Police Department had assisted ICE or provided a secure staging location for federal agents.

He said no Keene police officers were present to assist with stops or arrests.

“To your last question, not at all,” Kahn said when asked whether local police had cooperated operationally with the ICE activity.

One point of confusion involved the use of a public parking area associated with the police department. Kahn rejected the suggestion that the presence of federal vehicles in a public lot necessarily demonstrated cooperation between ICE and local police.

“To the first suspicion that parking in a public lot is an act of cooperation, you know, that’s just reading a whole lot into something that I don’t think has a basis,” he said.

Kahn said he personally looked at the parking area and found it accessible from multiple directions. He also noted that construction on Marlboro Street may have contributed to confusion about access to the area.

The mayor said he has been attempting to separate confirmed information from rumors as questions about ICE activity spread through the community.

“I’ve tried to track those [rumors] down to the extent that I’ve been able and will continue to do so to minimize misinformation,” Kahn said.

City Council To Hold ICE Workshop Monday

The conversation comes ahead of a special Keene City Council workshop scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall. The workshop will focus exclusively on ICE and immigration issues.

Kahn emphasized that the gathering is a workshop rather than a formal council meeting, meaning councilors will not be taking formal votes or acting on motions.

“There are no motions before the city council in a workshop. It is an opportunity for the public to share their thoughts,” he said.

The workshop will begin with public comment before councilors discuss what they need to better understand and how the city can keep residents informed.

“Let’s hear from the public, but then let’s have a conversation among the city councilors to see what understandings we need to build to keep people informed,” Kahn said.

Kahn said he hopes particularly to hear from Keene residents who have concerns or information they want to bring before the council. Police Chief Stewart is expected to attend.

The workshop will be held in the City Council Chambers so it can be broadcast and recorded. Kahn said the recording is expected to be posted through the city’s normal channels within about 24 hours.

State Law Limits City’s Options

Kahn said the workshop will also provide an opportunity to explain the limits placed on local government by state law when federal immigration authorities are conducting enforcement operations.

He said New Hampshire law requires local authorities not to obstruct or interfere with federal immigration enforcement and includes potential consequences involving state aid.

“The state statute has been very clear in defining that there shall be cooperation with federal agencies, and that there will not be interference under a penalty of loss of state aid,” Kahn said.

He distinguished that requirement from actively assisting federal agents.

“You’re not going to obstruct. You’re not going to interfere,” Kahn said. “And to the extent that you have resources, it really doesn’t say that you will cooperate. It says that you will not obstruct.”

Kahn said that leaves the city with relatively limited direct authority over federal enforcement activity, but he believes local officials can play a role by providing accurate information and communicating residents’ concerns to state and federal officials.

“I think where we have some opportunities is how we communicate with other governmental officials,” he said. “Let’s operate from a position of fact and people’s real concerns, and let’s take it forward.”

The mayor said clarifying the role of the Keene Police Department is particularly important so residents understand what local officers can and cannot do when federal immigration agents are operating in the city.

Monday’s workshop is expected to give residents and councilors an opportunity to address those questions directly.

Listen to the full interview: