OMAHA, Neb. (RTW News) — The transition of a minimum-security state prison in McCook, Nebraska into a federal immigration detention center began this week, as Governor Jim Pillen announced the facility is currently holding between 50 and 60 detainees, with plans to reach full capacity of 200 by Thanksgiving. A second phase of renovations is planned to expand the prison further by 100 beds.
Previously known for rehabilitating low-level offenders, the facility had housed about 180 individuals who participated in various programs aimed at reintegrating them into society. However, those inmates have been reassigned to other facilities across Nebraska, prompting backlash from local officials surprised by the rapid changes.
Critics, including a group of McCook residents and former state senator DiAnna Schimek, have filed a lawsuit against Pillen, arguing that only the state legislature has the authority to make decisions regarding state prisons. A judge has recently dismissed the motion to stop the conversion while the legal case proceeds.
The prison's new designation as the “Cornhusker Clink” aligns with similar nicknames for detention centers in other U.S. states, reflecting the ongoing national debate surrounding immigration policies and detention practices.
Pillen's decision to use this facility comes amidst a broader context of rising immigration detention rates. Reports indicate that nearly 60,000 individuals were held in immigration detention as of mid-September, a significant jump from earlier figures. Notably, around 70% of those detained do not have a criminal record, raising further concerns over the implications of such policies on immigrants.
Previously known for rehabilitating low-level offenders, the facility had housed about 180 individuals who participated in various programs aimed at reintegrating them into society. However, those inmates have been reassigned to other facilities across Nebraska, prompting backlash from local officials surprised by the rapid changes.
Critics, including a group of McCook residents and former state senator DiAnna Schimek, have filed a lawsuit against Pillen, arguing that only the state legislature has the authority to make decisions regarding state prisons. A judge has recently dismissed the motion to stop the conversion while the legal case proceeds.
The prison's new designation as the “Cornhusker Clink” aligns with similar nicknames for detention centers in other U.S. states, reflecting the ongoing national debate surrounding immigration policies and detention practices.
Pillen's decision to use this facility comes amidst a broader context of rising immigration detention rates. Reports indicate that nearly 60,000 individuals were held in immigration detention as of mid-September, a significant jump from earlier figures. Notably, around 70% of those detained do not have a criminal record, raising further concerns over the implications of such policies on immigrants.
