OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — No formal agreement has been signed to convert a remote state prison in Nebraska into the latest immigration detention center for President Donald Trump’s sweeping crackdown, more than three weeks since the governor announced the plan and as lawmakers and nearby residents grow increasingly skeptical.
Corrections officials insist the facility could start housing hundreds of male detainees next month, with classrooms and other spaces at the McCook Work Ethic Camp retrofitted for beds. However, lawmakers briefed last week by state officials said they got few concrete answers about cost, staffing, and oversight.
“There were more unanswered questions than answered questions in terms of what they know,” state Sen. Wendy DeBoer said.
Officials in the city of McCook were caught off guard in mid-August when Republican Gov. Jim Pillen announced that the minimum-security prison in rural southwest Nebraska would serve as a Midwest hub for immigration detainees. Pillen and federal officials dubbed it the “Cornhusker Clink,” following similar naming conventions for detention centers across the country.
“City leaders were given absolutely no choice in the matter,” said Mike O’Dell, publisher of the local newspaper, the McCook Gazette.
McCook is the seat of Red Willow County, where voters favored Trump in the 2024 election by nearly 80%. Although many residents likely support the president’s immigration crackdown, there is growing concern over the unknowns that accompany the transition from a low-level offender facility to an immigration detention center.
The Work Ethic Camp has been a part of the community since 2001, housing around 155 inmates who participate in educational and work programs. State leaders often refer to it as a model for reducing recidivism. Community members are voicing their concerns about the potential impacts on local rapport built over years with the current inmates.
Lawmakers like Sen. Terrell McKinney, who head the Judiciary Committee, are questioning the legality of the governor's unilateral decision to transfer state prison use to federal authorities without legislative approval. As it stands, a formal agreement between the state and the federal government remains unsigned, increasing the worries surrounding the facility's transformation.
Opposition is mounting not just from state lawmakers but also from local residents who turned out in numbers at a recent public hearing demanding clarity on the changes and asserting their right to be informed about conditions and safety.
