Judiciary Chair puts off senators' request for hearing on McCook/ICE plan

The chair of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee said Thursday it would be "premature" to hold a hearing on Gov. Jim Pillen's plan to convert the state's Work Ethic Camp in McCook to a detention facility for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"The Judiciary Committee has no more extraordinary authority than any individual senator, or group of senators, to seek answers to the questions posed in the letter dated August 27, 2025. I would advise sending the list of questions directly to the executive branch and attorney general's office, which would likely result in a faster response than that which is required to schedule a hearing," Sen. Carolyn Bosn said in a response to Sen. Megan Hunt, lead author of the request for a hearing.

Bosn was referring to a letter sent to the Judiciary Committee earlier this week by Hunt. The letter, signed by 12 other senators, requested a legislative hearing to address questions surrounding the project.

“We urge you, as Chair of the Judiciary Committee, to conduct an Interim Study Hearing to improve public transparency for all stakeholders and citizens and ensure we are doing our due diligence as State leaders,” it reads.

The questions raised include who will be detained or placed there and what impact it might have on the state’s Department of Correctional Services, which is already struggling with overcrowding and staffing issues.

The letter also addresses the Legislature’s “independent constitutional authority to determine the management of the state’s prisons,” and questions how the governor can enter the state into an agreement with the federal government without input from the Legislature.

“At the end of the day, this isn’t about partisanship. It’s about constitutional authority, transparency, and protecting Nebraskans from being left in the dark about how their resources are used,” Hunt wrote in a text to Nebraska Public Media.

Sen. Victor Rountree, who is on the Judiciary Committee and signed the letter, said he also wants to know where inmates currently at the Work Ethic Camp will end up.

“What we're looking for is just total transparency and trying to get information out, take care of our people, so that families can have good understanding and know what's going to happen to not only to members that may be incarcerated, but what's going to happen here in the state and what's going to happen in the community,” he said.

Sen. Dunixi Guereca, who represents a majority-Latino district including South Omaha, said he signed on to the letter because he wants to know why working with ICE is one of the governor’s priorities.

“At a time when the cost of food is so high, when our property taxes are so high, why are we, instead of focusing on those issues, doing this sort of fly-by-night plan to give away 200 of our beds from our already chronically overcrowded criminal justice system that's going to further strain the system?” he asked.

Bosn introduced an interim study resolution, LR108, during the legislative session to allow for a hearing. It’s a standard move by committee chairs to address topics that come up after the session.