US EditionCourt Clears Way for ‘Cornhusker Clink’ to Open in Nebraska
Judge Heng denied a temporary injunction, allowing the ICE detention center to open and house up to 300 detainees, generating about $14 million annually for Nebraska.
- On Oct. 27, Red Willow County District Court Judge Patrick M. Heng ruled state officials acted within their authority, clearing the way for Cornhusker Clink to open as soon as Nov. 1 and denied plaintiffs' injunction request, recommending the lawsuit proceed.
- The state signed a two-year contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to use the McCook Work Ethic Camp as a federal detention center, with DHS paying $5 million monthly, and nearly 200 inmates transferred in recent weeks.
- State and federal inspectors completed a walk-through, and the facility passed a final federal inspection; NDCS will retrain Work Ethic Camp employees and hire additional staff.
- Plaintiffs said the legal fight will continue, arguing Nebraska Appleseed expressed disappointment while First Alert 6 reported deliveries and personnel movements Monday as Work Ethic Camp rehabilitation programs end.
- Longer term, the site could hold up to 300 detainees, and NDCS will own and operate the center under a contract running through Sept. 29, 2027, while local demonstrations in Red Willow County highlight opposition.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Nebraska Examiner
Doniphan HeraldNebraska Corrections outlines transfers of former McCook Work Ethic Camp inmates
Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Bryan Waugh, at podium, joins Nebraska Adj. Gen. Craig Strong at left and Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Director Rob Jeffreys as the state announces work a new ICE facility. Aug 19. 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner)LINCOLN — As Nebraska turns a state prison into a detention center for migrants facing deportation proceedings, the Nebraska Corrections Department confirmed where it moved s…
Court clears way for ‘Cornhusker Clink’ to open in Nebraska
In a McCook courtroom, a years-old state work camp became the center of a growing debate over Nebraska’s role in federal immigration enforcement. A district court judge ruled that state officials acted within their authority to repurpose the Work Ethic Camp into a detention site for immigration detainees, clearing the way for “Cornhusker Clink” to open as soon as Nov. 1. In an update released Oct. 23, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said the McCook fa…
Columbus Telegram
Sioux City JournalJudge rules against effort to halt ICE's 'Cornhusker Clink' but case will continue
A Nebraska judge ruled against a suit to stop the planned "Cornhusker Clink" ICE detention facility, but attorneys said the McCook residents who sued state leaders will continue with the case.
Beatrice Daily Sun
Judge denies injunction that would have blocked McCook ICE facility from opening
A district judge Monday denied an injunction that would have kept the so-called "Cornhusker Clink" from opening. But he also refused to dismiss the case as the state had asked.
Nebraska judge issues two rulings in lawsuit against ICE facility in McCook
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A district judge in Red Willow County issued two rulings on Monday in the lawsuit against an ICE facility in McCook. The lawsuit, filed by Nebraska Appleseed on behalf of former State Sen. DiAnna Schimek and 13 McCook residents, sought a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction to stop Gov. Jim Pillen and the Nebraska...
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