Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, announced Tuesday that an immigration detention center will be established in the state’s southwest farming region as President Donald Trump’s administration speeds up its expansion of facilities for immigrants awaiting deportation.
Pillen said he and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem agreed to convert an existing inmate work camp into a site for people detained during immigration proceedings.
The facility will be called the “Cornhusker Clink,” a nod to Nebraska’s nickname, the Cornhusker State, and an old slang term for jail.
Trump and Noem
President Donald Trump listens to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as they tour “Alligator Alcatraz,” a new migrant detention facility at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility in Ochopee, Fla., Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
Why It Matters
The announcement comes amid a nationwide expansion of detention infrastructure. In June, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities held more than 56,000 immigrants—the highest number since 2019. New and planned facilities, often featuring alliterative names, include the Florida Everglades’ remote “Alligator Alcatraz,” which can house up to 3,000 detainees in tent structures, as well as “Deportation Depot” in north Florida, a proposed facility in Mason, Tennessee, and the 1,000-bed “Speedway Slammer” in Indiana.
Several of these centers, including “Alligator Alcatraz,” have already faced lawsuits and community pushback over conditions, environmental compliance, and transparency.
What to Know
Pillen said the camp in McCook—a small city of about 7,000 located between Denver and Omaha—will be transformed into a detention site for individuals awaiting deportation or other immigration proceedings. The facility is expected to serve as a Midwest hub, housing detainees from surrounding states.
Initially, the center will accommodate 200 people, with plans to expand to 300. McCook is roughly 210 miles west of Lincoln, the state capital.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s agency shared a photo on social media showing ears of corn in ICE hats in front of a prison fence. Speaking at a news conference in McCook, Pillen said the detention center benefits from its proximity to a regional airport. He added that he did not yet know whether women or children would be held there and first learned of federal interest in the site last Friday.
Pillen also announced the deployment of about 20 Nebraska National Guard soldiers to support immigration agents administratively and logistically. Additionally, six Nebraska State Patrol troopers will assist federal agents in making arrests.
About half a dozen protesters gathered outside the governor’s office Tuesday afternoon with signs reading “No Nazi Nebraska” and “ICE = Gestapo.”
What People Are Saying
Pillen stated, “This is about keeping Nebraskans – and Americans across our country – safe.”
Noem added, “Thanks to Governor Pillen for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Nebraska’s Cornhusker Clink.”
Sen. Megan Hunt, an independent, criticized what she described as a lack of transparency from the governor, saying local immigrant communities are being unfairly targeted: “The No. 1 thing we need to do is protect our neighbors, protect the people in our communities who are being targeted by these horrible people, these horrible organizations that are making choices to lock up, detain, disappear our neighbors and families and friends,” Hunt said in a video posted on social media.
What’s Next
Corrections Director Rob Jeffreys said the 186 inmates currently at the McCook work camp will be transferred to other state prisons within 45 to 60 days. He added that the facility is already accredited to hold prisoners, meaning detainees will be housed in permanent quarters rather than temporary structures.
