How a Nebraska work camp became the ‘Cornhusker Clink’

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00:00Behind the fences of the work ethic camp in McCook, a new chapter is starting,

00:04one that's drawing attention from lawmakers, advocates, and the community itself.

00:10The work ethic camp now being repurposed as the Cornhusker Clink has passed its final inspection

00:17by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the governor's office. Final

00:22security upgrades are expected to wrap up in the next few days, with an official operational date

00:27of November 1st. Governor Jim Pillen confirmed the approval, saying the government shutdown made

00:33opening more difficult, but quote, given the many tasks that had to be completed, including the

00:38transfer of remaining inmates, building modifications, training of staff, and other components, we have

00:44made significant progress. Pillen says every state is a border state, so Nebraska is going to do its

00:50part in working with ICE to continue their deportation efforts. We have seen increased

00:57immigration enforcement and immigration detention of Nebraskans harming our communities, separating

01:04families, causing economic instability and fear and mistrust, and all of the things that actually

01:11make our communities less safe. The ACLU of Nebraska is among those pushing back against

01:16the Cornhusker Clink. Executive Director Mindy Rush Chipman calls the move a step in the wrong direction.

01:22We are very concerned about the lack of access that lawmakers, attorneys, other oversight type

01:31of groups and individuals would have to the facility. A new contract between ICE and the Nebraska

01:37Department of Correctional Services makes it possible. The agreement allows ICE to lease space

01:42at the low security facility built for state inmates focused on rehabilitation and job training,

01:48but NDCS maintains ownership of the building. Up to 300 detainees could be housed here, with state

01:55staff running day-to-day operations, while ICE handles transportation and oversight. WEC is open,

02:02originally designed for inmates nearing release, and that's where questions begin. How will ICE secure

02:07a facility built with more open space than cells? According to NDCS, the detainees moving in will have

02:14minor criminal records or non-violent charges. They will not be allowed to work in the community.

02:19The facility is surrounded by offense and now includes an intruder detection system. The perimeter

02:25is monitored by an armed patrol staffed by NDCS officers. State officials say 65 new positions have been

02:33added, including medical personnel to handle daily operations. The average stay for each detainee is

02:39expected to range from 5 to 45 days. Nebraska's prison system remains in an overcrowding emergency,

02:47one of the most severe in the country. Inmates who once lived at the work ethic camp have been

02:52transferred elsewhere, but with the state's new prison still years from completion, the ACLU says

02:58losing space now puts more pressure on an already strained system. Those opportunities for Nebraskans who

03:05are looking to re-enter their communities, they're no longer going to have that. Those are bed spaces and

03:10those are opportunities that Nebraska is missing out on because of this repurposing. According to the state's

03:16inspector general, the Department of Correctional Services is still operating at about 140 percent of its design

03:23capacity, a level that has kept Nebraska under a statutory overcrowding emergency since July 1st, 2020. Nebraska now ranks

03:32second in the nation for prison overcrowding behind Alabama. For McCook, the deal brings jobs and federal

03:38dollars. Governor Pillen says running wet costs Nebraska taxpayers about $10 million a year. Under the

03:45new agreement with ICE, the state will be paid just over $2.4 million each month to operate the facility.

03:51When you factor in staffing and services, the deal is expected to net Nebraska around $14 million per year

03:58in revenue. The contract is funded through money allocated under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,

04:03a massive federal package passed this summer. That law provided millions in funding to the Department

04:09of Homeland Security and ICE. Those funds made projects like the Cornhusker Clink possible,

04:14expanding detention space nationwide. Despite the financial boost, the facility's rural location

04:20raises questions about how detainees will attend court hearings and access to legal services.

04:26McCook is several hours away from our metro areas in Nebraska where a lot of immigration attorneys

04:32practice, kind of around the Omaha Immigration Court, and so that's a concern.

04:37Rush Chipman says recent raids in Nebraska show what can happen when detainees lack access to lawyers

04:42or family. She points to the Glen Valley raid earlier this year where dozens of undocumented workers

04:48were detained and couldn't contact their attorneys or loved ones for days. The ACLU also worries about

04:55conditions inside the facility once it opens. We've heard human rights abuses happening in ICE detention

05:01centers across the country, issues with medical care, issues with proper food, nutrition, and more

05:09recently we are hearing extremely concerning violations about pregnant and postpartum women

05:16not being able to receive medical care. The contract between Nebraska and ICE remains in effect

05:21until September 2027. Right now, some McCook residents are asking a judge to grant a temporary injunction

05:28to block the facility from opening. A ruling from the district court is still pending.

05:33For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey. For more stories based in Nebraska, visit san.com

05:38or download the Straight Arrow News mobile app today.

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