U.S.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.

00:11The 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,

00:44we have made significant progress. Pillen says every state is a border state, so Nebraska is

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

00:55increased immigration enforcement and immigration detention of Nebraskans harming our communities,

01:03separating families, causing economic instability and fear and mistrust and all of the things that

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

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

01:21wrong direction. We are very concerned about the lack of access that lawmakers, attorneys,

01:30other oversight type of groups and individuals would have to the facility. A new contract between ICE

01:36and the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services makes it possible. The agreement allows ICE to

01:41lease space at the low security facility built for state inmates focused on rehabilitation and job

01:47training, but NDCS maintains ownership of the building. Up to 300 detainees could be housed here,

01:54with state staff running day-to-day operations, while ICE handles transportation and oversight.

02:00WEC is open, originally designed for inmates nearing release, and that's where questions begin.

02:06How will ICE secure a facility built with more open space than cells? According to NDCS,

02:12the detainees moving in will have minor criminal records or non-violent charges. They will not be

02:18allowed to work in the community. The facility is surrounded by a fence and now includes an intruder

02:23detection system. The perimeter is monitored by an armed patrol staffed by NDCS officers. State officials

02:30say 65 new positions have been added, including medical personnel to handle daily operations.

02:37The average stay for each detainee is expected to range from 5 to 45 days.

02:43Nebraska's prison system remains in an overcrowding emergency, one of the most severe in the country.

02:49Inmates who once lived at the work ethic camp have been transferred elsewhere,

02:53but with the state's new prison still years from completion, the ACLU says losing space now puts

02:59more pressure on an already strained system.

03:02Those opportunities for Nebraskans who are looking to re-enter their communities,

03:07they're no longer going to have that. Those are bed spaces and those are opportunities

03:11that Nebraska is missing out on because of this repurposing.

03:15According to the state's inspector general, the Department of Correctional Services is still

03:19operating at about 140 percent of its design capacity, a level that has kept Nebraska under a

03:26statutory overcrowding emergency since July 1, 2020. Nebraska now ranks second in the nation for

03:33prison overcrowding, behind Alabama. For McCook, the deal brings jobs and federal dollars.

03:39Governor Pillan says running wet costs Nebraska taxpayers about $10 million a year.

03:44Under the new agreement with ICE, the state will be paid just over $2.4 million each month

03:49to operate the facility. When you factor in staffing and services, the deal is expected to net Nebraska

03:56around $14 million per year in revenue. The contract is funded through money allocated under the One

04:02Big Beautiful Bill Act, a massive federal package passed this summer. That law provided millions in

04:08funding to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Those funds made projects like the Cornhusker

04:13Clink possible, expanding detention space nationwide. Despite the financial boost, the facility's rural

04:20location raises 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

04:48workers were detained and couldn't contact their attorneys or loved ones for days.

04:52The ACLU also worries about conditions inside the facility once it opens.

04:58We've heard human rights abuses happening in ICE detention centers across the country, issues

05:05with medical care, issues with proper food, nutrition, and more recently we are hearing extremely

05:11concerning violations about pregnant and postpartum women not being able to receive

05:18medical care.

05:19The contract between Nebraska and ICE remains in effect until September 2027. Right now,

05:24some McCook residents are asking a judge to grant a temporary injunction to block the facility

05:29from 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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