McCook ICE facility began taking detainees Monday, Pillen says
By Brian Beach 
, Reporter Nebraska Public Media
Nov. 6, 2025, 12:57 p.m. ·
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen confirmed Thursday that the McCook Work Ethic Camp is now housing people in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
“Our facility is operational,” he said. “Phase one, 200 detainees, and detainees started coming in, I think, Monday night.”
Pillen said there are probably around 50-60 detainees at the facility as of Thursday morning and expects that number to grow to its full capacity of 200 by Thanksgiving.
The governor said a second phase of construction, which would add an additional 100 beds, would be operational in the first part of 2026. He said work was recently approved for the bid with the federal government.
Pillen said he visited with McCook Mayor Linda Taylor earlier this week.
McCook residents filed a lawsuit aimed at stopping the Work Ethic Camp from being used as an immigration detention facility. A temporary injunction, which would have halted ICE’s use of the facility while the court case is pending, was denied by a Red Willow District Court Judge.
American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska Executive Director Mindy Rush Chipman said her organization will continue to fight the project.
“We will do everything in our power to ensure basic rights are respected in this facility, and we will continue to work alongside our communities to urge our governor to reverse course and end this disgraceful stunt.”
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