Nebraska prison reopens as federal immigration center, aims for 200 detainees by Thanksgiving

Nebraska’s Immigration Detention Facility Opens, Sparks Controversy

A minimum-security state prison in Nebraska’s remote southwest region has begun operations as a federal immigration detention center, Governor Jim Pillen announced Thursday. The facility in McCook is already housing between 50 and 60 immigrant detainees and is expected to reach its current 200-person capacity by Thanksgiving.

The Republican governor also revealed plans are underway for a second phase of conversion that would add another 100 beds, bringing the total capacity to 300. “I would expect that the second phase will be ready in the first part of the new year,” Pillen said.

Located in McCook, a small city of approximately 7,000 residents situated in the open prairies between Denver and Omaha, the facility previously functioned as the McCook Work Ethic Camp. The camp had housed around 180 low-level offenders participating in education, treatment, and work programs designed to ease their transition back into society.

The work camp had been considered a success story in Nebraska’s corrections system. Prisoners regularly contributed to the community by working on roads, in parks, county and city offices, and even local schools. State officials had frequently praised the program for its effectiveness in reducing recidivism rates.

With the facility’s conversion, these low-level offenders have been dispersed throughout Nebraska’s prison system. Several were paroled, placed on probation, or released, but the majority were transferred to other facilities. More than 100 were sent to community corrections centers in Omaha and Lincoln, while dozens of others were relocated to various state prisons.

The decision to repurpose the facility came as a surprise to McCook officials and residents when Governor Pillen announced in August that he was transitioning the prison for federal use as part of former President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives. The detention center has been dubbed the “Cornhusker Clink,” following similar naming patterns for other recently announced detention centers like Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” and “Deportation Depot,” and Indiana’s “Speedway Slammer.”

The abrupt conversion has drawn criticism from several Nebraska lawmakers who argue that Pillen acted hastily, particularly given that the state’s prison system already ranks among the nation’s most overcrowded and consistently understaffed.

In response to the governor’s decision, former state Senator DiAnna Schimek and thirteen other McCook residents filed a lawsuit against Pillen and the director of the state prison system. The lawsuit, backed by the nonprofit legal advocacy group Nebraska Appleseed, contends that only the Legislature possesses the constitutional authority to control state prisons or repurpose public buildings.

While the plaintiffs sought a temporary injunction to halt the prison’s conversion during legal proceedings, a judge rejected their motion last month. The judge also denied Pillen’s motion to dismiss the case entirely, allowing the legal challenge to continue.

The opening of this detention facility reflects a broader trend in immigration enforcement. By mid-September, nearly 60,000 people were being held in immigration detention across the country—representing a 51% increase since January, according to data from the nonprofit Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC).

TRAC’s analysis indicates that approximately 70% of those detained have no criminal record. Among those with convictions, many have been detained for minor offenses, some as minimal as traffic violations.

The McCook facility, situated about 210 miles west of Nebraska’s capital Lincoln, represents the ongoing tension between federal immigration policies and local community interests, as well as questions about the appropriate use of state correctional resources during a time of prison overcrowding.