A Nebraska prison built to help inmates rebuild their lives is about to take on a new role — as a federal detention center for immigration detainees. The Work Ethic Camp (WEC) in McCook, once designed to house state inmates focused on rehabilitation and job training, has been approved by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for use as a detention site. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s office confirmed the facility passed its final inspection this week, with operations expected to begin Nov. 1.
“Given the many tasks that had to be completed, including the transfer of remaining inmates, building modifications, training of staff and other components, we have made significant progress,” Pillen said in a statement.
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He added that Nebraska is “going to do its part” to support federal deportation efforts, reiterating his belief that “every state is a border state.”
Under a new agreement between ICE and the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, ICE will lease the facility from the state. The site will remain state-owned and operated, but ICE will oversee detainee transfers and transportation.
Up to 300 people could be held at the facility at any given time, most with minor criminal records or nonviolent charges. Officials say detainees will not be allowed to work in the community.
The facility includes a new intruder detection system, perimeter fencing, and an armed patrol staffed by NDCS officers. The state says 65 new positions have been added, including medical personnel, to handle daily operations. The average stay for detainees is expected to range from five to 45 days.
ACLU raises transparency and access concerns
Civil rights advocates are pushing back against the project. Mindy Rush Chipman, executive director of the ACLU of Nebraska, said her organization is “adamantly opposed” to repurposing a state correctional facility into an immigration detention site.
“We have seen increased immigration enforcement and immigration detention of Nebraskans, harming our communities, separating families, causing economic instability and fear and mistrust — all of the things that actually make our communities less safe,” Rush Chipman said in an interview with Straight Arrow News.
She also raised concerns about transparency and oversight under the new contract.
“We are very concerned about the lack of access that lawmakers, attorneys, other oversight groups and individuals would have to the facility,” she said.
The contract, she noted, limits entry to certain federal officials, with few provisions for state-level inspection or media access.
Rush Chipman said the ACLU is worried that attorneys and families may struggle to reach detainees held in McCook, several hours from Omaha, where most immigration courts and lawyers are based.
“McCook is several hours away from our metro areas in Nebraska, where a lot of immigration attorneys practice,” she said. “That’s a concern.”
Overcrowding and staffing challenges
Nebraska’s prison system remains under a declared overcrowding emergency — one of the most severe in the country.
According to the state’s inspector general, the Department of Correctional Services is operating at roughly 140% of its design capacity, a level that has kept the system under emergency status since July 2020. The state currently ranks second in the nation for prison overcrowding, behind Alabama.
Rush Chipman said converting the WEC for ICE use eliminates one of the few facilities that supported inmate reentry programs.
“Those opportunities for Nebraskans who are looking to reenter their communities, they’re no longer going to have that,” she said. “Those are bed spaces and opportunities that Nebraska is missing out on because of this repurposing.”
She also questioned how the state will fill new staffing roles given persistent shortages in corrections and healthcare positions, noting that “hiring additional personnel on paper won’t make those shortages disappear.”
Financial impact and federal funding
State officials say the deal will generate millions in new revenue. Operating the Work Ethic Camp costs Nebraska about $10 million annually. Under the agreement, the state will receive approximately $2.4 million per month, or about $14 million per year, to operate the facility.
The contract runs through September 2027 and is supported by federal funding allocated under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping legislative package passed earlier this year that expanded resources for the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.
Those funds are helping to finance detention facility expansions nationwide, including the McCook site.
Local and legal reactions
Some McCook residents have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the facility’s opening. Plaintiffs are asking a judge to issue a temporary injunction, arguing the community was not given adequate input or information before the decision. A ruling from the district court is still pending.
Rush Chipman said the ACLU plans to monitor the facility closely once it begins operations.
“We’re prepared to use every tool in our tool belt to make sure there are no human rights or civil liberties violations for Nebraskans or anyone detained in McCook,” she said.
Until the court rules, the facility remains ready to open, with ICE detainees expected to arrive as soon as next week.
