Nebraska Facility Transforms into High-Security ICE Detention Center

The low-security state prison known as Work Ethic Camp in McCook, Nebraska, is being converted into a high-security detention facility for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), offering 300 beds. This transformation, decided by state authorities, is part of the broader effort to expand detention capacity as part of former President Donald Trump's national campaign against illegal immigration.

According to a report from The New York Times, the Work Ethic Camp was Nebraska's sole state prison dedicated entirely to rehabilitation. It focused on non-violent offenders nearing the end of their sentences, providing counseling, education, and job training to aid their transition back into society.

This fall, however, the state's plan shifted as it announced the establishment of the new ICE facility under the name "The Cornhusker Clink," marking a significant change in mission and focus.

Prior to its conversion, inmates could frequently be seen engaging in community work such as paving roads, maintaining cemeteries, removing holiday decorations, and mowing lawns at school facilities. They also attended classes at a community college, and the art of 13 inmates was displayed in a gallery exhibition during the summer, as noted in the report.

The state has invested nearly two million dollars in renovations, installing barbed wire atop fences and adding sensors to detect escapes, according to the report.

Economically, Governor Jim Pillen highlighted that the arrangement would generate approximately 14 million dollars annually after covering operational costs.

The contract stipulates that ICE will pay Nebraska a one-time fee of 5.9 million dollars for upgrades and monthly payments of 2.5 million over a two-year contract period.

Community Responses: Support, Skepticism, and Local Concerns

In McCook, opinions are mixed. Some residents support the new facility, seeing it as a contribution to the federal agenda and a potential creator of 50 to 60 jobs.

Others, while agreeing with Trump's immigration stance, favored the previous model for its community ties and rehabilitative focus.

Local officials expressed worries about logistical challenges, particularly the impact of transporting hundreds of detainees through the town's small airport, which has only one full-time employee, as the report describes.

A group of thirteen residents and a former state legislator sued the governor, arguing that the Legislature had designated and funded the facilities for the rehabilitation of state prisoners and that Pillen lacked the authority to change that purpose. In October, a judge refused to grant an injunction sought by the plaintiffs.

The report also mentions that McCook officials were not informed in advance about the state's decision and have not been told whether the city will benefit financially from the ICE agreement.

Increasing Detention Capacity

In line with Trump's campaign promise to deport one million people within the year, his administration aimed to expand detention capacity and took the unusual step of securing space in state prisons. Agreements were made in states like Indiana, Louisiana, Florida, and Nebraska, where Republican governors were willing to cooperate.

The facility began housing detainees in early November, averaging around 28 men daily so far.

In the final months of the Work Ethic Camp, about 186 men were housed there. After its closure, roughly 100 were transferred to even less restrictive centers with daily work release, 10 were released (some on parole or under supervision), and 76 were moved to more secure facilities, primarily the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln.