Cornhusker Clink


Cornhusker Clink is an immigration detention center in McCook, Nebraska, United States. The center was announced in August 2025 and officially opened in November. It was developed by the Department of Homeland Security and is operated by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Upon completion, the facility is planned to include 280 beds and will be located in the Work Ethic Camp, a minimum-security prison labor camp in McCook. Development came after other immigration detention centers, like Alligator Alcatraz in Florida, were opened by the Trump Administration.

History

Plans for the center were announced on August 19, 2025, by Nebraska governor Jim Pillen and U.S. secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem. Pillen stated that he did not know if the prison would house women and children in addition to men. He also announced that the Nebraska National Guard would be ordered to provide logistical and administrative support to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents based in Nebraska. To make room for the detention center, all 186 inmates currently at the Work Ethic Camp will be moved to different facilities.
Several lawsuits were filed in order to prevent the detention center's opening. Most notably, The attempt to create an injunction to block the opening of the facility was itself blocked by Judge Patrick Heng. The lawsuit delayed the opening of the facility, and Heng allowed for the facility to open in early November. On November 3, Governor Pillen stated that it was expected to become operational by the end of that week. Three days later, Cornhusker Clink officially began operations.

Design

The Cornhusker Clink is designed to hold 280 immigrants inside of the Work Ethic Camp in McCook, Nebraska. The Work Ethic Camp is a minimum-security prison labor camp. The prison was authorized in 1997 and opened in 2001. As of 2023, the prison only has 200 beds. However, plans are to expand the prison to have 300 beds. In a three-year agreement with DHS, the detention center will house inmates for up to 365 days.

Reactions

Upon its announcement, the prison received criticism from many Nebraska lawmakers and the Nebraska ACLU. Protestors sat outside the governor's office on the afternoon after the announcement. Pillen and the DHS also received criticism for using the word "Cornhusker" in the detention center's name, which is a moniker used by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for their sports teams. The University of Nebraska system issued a statement distancing themselves from the Cornhusker Clink, and that they did not give permission for the moniker to be used. While the term "Cornhusker" is officially trademarked by the University of Nebraska system, they also recognize it as a common word and will allow for the state to use it for the prison.