Community leaders press Keene officials over ICE presence near police station

Concern spread through Keene on Monday after reported ICE activity included federal-style vehicles outside the police station and an encounter on Franklin Street, prompting criticism from advocates and some local officials who said they want answers about whether city resources were involved.

By early afternoon, City Councilor Catt Workman was pushing for an emergency council session and questioning why Keene police appeared to be letting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement use municipal property. Workman said she had already raised similar concerns in January and had been told the situation was under control.

In a morning email and later comments, Workman said she wrote to Mayor Jay Kahn and City Manager Elizabeth Ferland asking for immediate action. She also tied the issue to the city’s broader diversity and immigrant-welcoming efforts, saying the latest enforcement activity undercut them.

At the same time, State Rep. Jodi Newell, D-Keene, stood with Workman at the Keene police station and watched two large black vans parked there. Both vehicles appeared to contain several ICE agents. One van later left the station area, traveled west on Marlboro Street, then moved onto Main Street and entered the Main-Marlboro-Winchester streets roundabout from the wrong direction. The other went into a police-only parking area at the Marlboro Street station.

The scene that drew the most attention began around 6:50 a.m. Monday on Franklin Street, where people believed to be federal immigration agents stopped near a roofing contractor’s van. Witnesses said a man was questioned and briefly restrained before being released. A video recorded by a passerby appears to show an ICE agent holding the man against a car before the agent let him go and left the area about 7 a.m.

Advocates said another person tied to the property was taken into ICE custody over the weekend. The regional ICE office did not respond to requests for comment.

Williams, who represents Ward 2, said the people living in the Franklin Street area are part of the fabric of Keene and deserve protection, not harm. He said he has deep contempt for efforts that target them and limit their ability to pursue opportunity.

Immigrant advocate Eric Swope said fear has been building throughout the region and is affecting people regardless of legal status. He argued that the current climate is unfair and damaging, and said both faith traditions and basic human decency support welcoming newcomers.

Newell said most residents do not want ICE operating in the city or local law enforcement working with the agency. She said the recent activity has made neighbors fearful and has damaged the community’s efforts to be inclusive.

The federal operation comes amid a broader national increase in ICE enforcement over the past year and a half under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Associated Press reporting has linked that surge to violence in some places, including at least 10 fatal shootings.

Keene police and city officials had not responded for comment by Monday afternoon. Police Chief Steven Stewart did not reply by phone or email. Ferland is on vacation this week, and her office directed questions to Deputy City Manager Andy Bohannon, who was not reachable by phone and did not respond by email. Kahn said he was withholding comment while seeking more information.