First Immigration Detainees Expected at McCook Facility This Week
Gov. Jim Pillen has announced that individuals detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are anticipated to begin arriving at a revamped state prison in McCook within the week. This development follows an agreement between Nebraska and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), transforming the former Work Ethic Camp into an immigration detention center.
The contract, made public last month, was finalized on September 20. Under this arrangement, Nebraska is set to receive approximately $2.5 million monthly for accommodating up to 300 detainees until 2027. Additionally, the state will gain $5.7 million to offset the costs of modifying the facility.
Initially, Gov. Pillen had projected that detainees would arrive by November 1. However, recent statements indicated delays due to unresolved issues.
During a Monday press briefing, Gov. Pillen outlined a two-phase approach for housing the detainees at the McCook site. He stated, “Phase one will be up to 200 detainees, and we’ll start accepting detainees this week into the McCook facility. It’ll probably take up to two to three weeks to get the first phase 200 and then the other phase has work to be done. And don’t have an exact timeline, but my guess would be that it would be by the end of the year.”
The facility’s conversion has sparked legal challenges questioning the governor’s authority to house federal detainees in a state-run location. Last week, Judge Patrick Heng of Nebraska’s 11th Judicial District decided against granting an injunction sought by a group opposing the facility’s opening. Nevertheless, the lawsuit is permitted to continue progressing through the legal system. Read more about the ongoing lawsuit.
