OMAHA, Neb. — A minimum-security state prison in Nebraska's remote southwest is being repurposed into a federal immigration detention center. Governor Jim Pillen announced that the McCook facility, which is situated in a city of about 7,000, began accepting its first detainees earlier this week.
Currently holding between 50 and 60 immigrant detainees, Pillen expects the facility to reach its 200-person capacity by Thanksgiving. Plans are underway to add an additional 100 beds, potentially increasing the total to 300 by early next year.
Previously known as the McCook Work Ethic Camp, the facility housed low-level offenders engaging in educational and work programs aimed at reducing recidivism. With this transition, these individuals have either been paroled, placed on probation, or transferred to other facilities.
Local officials and residents were surprised by the abrupt announcement, which aligns with federal efforts to strengthen immigration policies. The facility has been nicknamed Cornhusker Clink, reflecting Nebraska’s nickname while mirroring similar detention centers around the country.
Despite the repurposing, some Nebraska lawmakers have raised concerns about the decision, with complaints about the premature shift while the state prison system is already experiencing significant overcrowding. Former state Senator DiAnna Schimek and others have filed a lawsuit against the governor, arguing that only the Legislature has the authority over such significant changes concerning state prisons.
A judge recently dismissed a request for a temporary injunction while the legal proceedings develop, revealing the contentious backdrop to this facility's transformation amid rising numbers of immigration detentions nationwide.
As of mid-September, there were nearly 60,000 individuals held in immigration detention across the country, a substantial increase since January, with many holding no prior criminal record.
