LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska officials announced Tuesday that a new immigration detention center will be established in the remote southwest corner of the state, adding to the Trump administration’s growing network of facilities aimed at expanding deportations.
The facility, set to open in McCook, will be known as the “Cornhusker Clink,” a name playing on Nebraska’s Cornhusker nickname and an old slang term for jail. It follows the administration’s recent practice of giving detention centers alliterative nicknames, including Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” and Indiana’s planned “Speedway Slammer.”
Plans for McCook
Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, announced that the Department of Homeland Security and Nebraska officials agreed to repurpose an existing minimum-security prison work camp in McCook, a city of about 7,000 people roughly 210 miles west of Lincoln. The facility will initially hold 200 detainees, with expansion plans to increase capacity to 300.
“This is about keeping Nebraskans — and Americans across our country — safe,” Pillen said in a statement.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized deterrence in her remarks. “If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Nebraska’s Cornhusker Clink. Avoid arrest and self-deport now using the CBP Home App,” she said. Noem’s department also circulated a promotional image online showing ears of corn wearing ICE hats in front of prison fencing.
Corrections director Rob Jeffreys said the 186 inmates currently at the McCook work camp will be transferred to other facilities within the next 45 to 60 days. Because the site is already accredited to house prisoners, he added, detainees will not be held in temporary tent structures like at other immigration sites.
Growing Federal Detention Network
The Trump administration has accelerated efforts to expand the nation’s detention infrastructure amid a surge in arrests of immigrants accused of being in the country illegally. As of June, more than 56,000 people were being held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers, the highest number since 2019, according to federal data published by the Department of Homeland Security.
Recent months have seen the rollout of several controversial facilities. In Florida, “Alligator Alcatraz” opened in July with the capacity to hold up to 3,000 detainees in temporary tent structures.
Civil rights groups have already filed lawsuits, alleging detainees there face violations of due process, inadequate access to legal representation, and poor living conditions. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced plans for an additional “Deportation Depot” facility in north Florida, while Indiana’s forthcoming “Speedway Slammer” has drawn community backlash.
Local Concerns in Nebraska
Despite assurances from state officials, the McCook facility has already sparked protests and questions of transparency. State Sen. Megan Hunt, an independent, criticized the governor’s office for failing to release requested documents about the planning process. “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 social media video.
On Tuesday, a small group of protesters gathered outside the governor’s office in Lincoln, carrying signs that read “No Nazi Nebraska” and “ICE = Gestapo.” Activists, including Lincoln resident Maghie Miller-Jenkins, argued the state should focus resources on issues like child hunger and homelessness instead of building immigration detention centers.
Military and Law Enforcement Support
In addition to repurposing the facility, Pillen announced that about 20 members of the Nebraska National Guard would be deployed to provide administrative and logistical support to immigration operations. Six Nebraska State Patrol troopers will also assist federal immigration agents with arrests.
The governor highlighted McCook’s proximity to a regional airport as a logistical advantage for transporting detainees to and from the facility. Still, questions remain about whether the center will house women or children, an issue Pillen said had not yet been decided.
A Polarizing Expansion
The announcement highlights both the Trump administration’s determination to scale up detention operations and the deepening divisions over immigration enforcement. While supporters argue the facilities are necessary for national security and law enforcement, opponents view them as costly, inhumane, and emblematic of a punitive approach to immigration.
With lawsuits already targeting facilities in Florida and backlash emerging in Indiana and Tennessee, the “Cornhusker Clink” could face similar challenges before its first detainees even arrive.