New details emerged Thursday about plans to convert the Work Ethic Camp in McCook into an immigration detention facility, as state lawmakers pressed administration officials for answers about the controversial proposal.
Members of Gov. Jim Pillen's staff met with state lawmakers to address questions about the facility conversion. A press release sent by Pillen's office revealed that "detainees with minor criminal records and nonviolent felonies" would be housed at the site, while those with felony or aggravated felony convictions would not be eligible.
State Senator Wendy DeBoer, who attended the meeting, said the facility would serve as a regional hub.
"The way it was described to me is that they would see it as a Midwest hub, so that the detainees would be from Nebraska and surrounding states," DeBoer said.
The conversion process would affect 168 inmates currently housed at the Work Ethic Camp. The governor says they would be discharged, moved to another facility, or placed on parole. This transition could take 45 to 60 days.
The facility currently holds 200 people, but upgrades could increase capacity to 300. DeBoer expressed concerns about the impact on Nebraska's prison system.
"We're making our already overcrowded eastern Nebraska facilities more crowded. So I don't think that will have positive effects on the whole system," DeBoer said.
However, the plan is not finalized.
"There is no agreement yet between the feds and Nebraska on the detention facility. They seem to expect that that will be about 60 days," DeBoer said.
The site would remain a state-run facility, but federal officials would maintain an "on-site presence." Since the facility would be operated by the state but house detainees from across the Midwest, questions remain about the financial impact on Nebraska taxpayers.
"They believe it to be a net positive on Nebraska's budget. I have a number of questions: what happens if we don't have very many people there, we still have to pay the staff, so do we lose money that way? I have a number of questions regarding whether or not the modifications to the facility will have to be paid for by us, or do we get reimbursed for?" DeBoer said.
DeBoer also raised concerns about transparency and said she would likely oppose the facility. She hopes that if it moves forward, people receive due process and are treated humanely.
The Work Ethic Camp is currently focused on rehabilitation. DeBoer said she visited the facility and expressed concern about converting a state facility to serve a different mission.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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