PETERBOROUGH, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A surprise visit from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Peterborough on Monday briefly shut down Mi Jalisco, a Mexican restaurant in the Peterborough Shopping Plaza.

Such visits may become more common as New Hampshire State Police seek authorization to perform certain immigration enforcement duties through a federal partnership program.

The program, established under the Delegation of Immigration Authority Section of the Immigration and Nationality Act, has existed since 1996 but has been revived under a recent executive order. The directive, signed by President Donald Trump, has led to a sharp increase in state and local agency agreements with ICE. According to the nonprofit American Immigration Council, there were 135 such agreements nationwide as of December 2024. That number has now risen to more than 250, with about 30 additional agreements pending.

While New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte has publicly encouraged state and local law enforcement to collaborate with ICE, no agencies from the Monadnock Region are currently listed among those seeking agreements.

Advocacy groups supporting migrant communities have raised concerns about the impact of these partnerships, warning that increased cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities could erode trust in law enforcement.

ICE has not released further details about its visit to Mi Jalisco, and local officials have confirmed they were not involved in the federal operation.