Nebraska Congressman discusses state immigration enforcement, federal funding and elections

Nebraska’s District 2 Congressman Don Bacon toured the Nebraska Public Media studios with CEO and General Manager Stacey Decker. During his visit, he discussed his future plans, thoughts on immigration and federal funding and where the Republican party currently stands.

The District 2 Seat and a Republican Divide

Bacon has served as the U.S. House Representative for the second congressional district for a decade. Earlier this summer, he announced he would not seek reelection. He said he found he wasn't excited about running for a potential sixth two-year term. Although he hasn't announced exactly what his plans are when he finishes his last term next year, he does have an idea of where he'd like to be, along with spending time with his grandchildren.

"I'm sort of excited about what may be next," he said. "I want to get involved in the Republican Party at the national level...I want to help what I consider more Reagan Republicans."

The Congressman explained he identifies as a Reagan Republican, referring to former president Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.

"We've got a little bit of a divide in our party. It's the Reagan Republicans versus the more populism," he added.

He referred to some recent actions from the Trump administration such as considering buying a share of Intel and making tariff deals with China for computer chips.

"I want to be a fighter for traditional Republican values, and I feel our party right now, not all of us, but maybe half, are embracing what I call Republicanism from the 1930s," he said. "[They] believed in price controls, and they were anti-legal immigration, and a lot of our guys are going back to the 1930s and we failed. We lost power for decades because we were on the wrong side of these issues."

There are currently two candidates running for the seat under the Republican party and five under the Democratic.

Bacon advised candidates to stay away from populism and extremism if they want to win.

Immigration Enforcement and Nebraska's New ICE Detention Facility

Although the new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility to be constructed in McCook is outside of Bacon's district, he said he has mixed feelings about the state's role in this form of immigration enforcement. Bacon didn't make a comment when Gov. Jim Pillen first announced the development, but ultimately said he supports a balanced approach to immigration.

"I endorse the principle we got to do our part for rule of law. But do I revel or celebrate putting people in detention centers? I don't," Bacon said.

He added he does not consider himself an anti-immigrant guy, and he supports finding a way for working immigrants who came to the U.S. without documentation to stay and continue their work in supporting the country's economy.

He is helping legislation, known as the Dignity Act of 2025, and reintroduced by Reps. Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) that would allow these individuals to stay under a work permit, among other reforms.

"We're a nation of immigrants. If we didn't have legal immigrants coming in right now, our population would be declining and our economy would be really struggling," Bacon said.

Since the facility is outside of Bacon's district, which covers Douglas, Saunders and parts of Sarpy Counties, he said he isn't familiar with all the ins and outs of the facility as far as how the state will address prison overcrowding.

"We particularly don't want violent people here illegally. So, I think I see the need for it. I don't relish in it," he said.

But at the same time, he said he has noticed a lot of fear, particularly in South Omaha and doesn't want people living like that in the U.S.

Federal Funding for HIV and Public Media

Bacon was initially one of the Republican holdouts for the congressional recission bill requested by President Donald Trump.

The bill proposed cuts to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which funded efforts to combat HIV/AIDS epidemic around the globe, as well as to public media funding including the PBS and NPR. Nebraska Public Media is an NPR-member station. It lost funding after this bill was passed.

Bacon called PEPFAR a "very noble program" and said he does not feel comfortable voting for a cut to funding for local public media.

After his nay vote, Bacon said House Speaker Mike Johnson asked him what needs to happen to flip his vote.

Bacon said funding should be returned to PEPFAR, which he said 92% was, and local public media should have funding.

"I said, I have your assurance that we'll have money. I didn't put a certain amount on there that will have money directed towards local public media," Bacon said.

The Speaker assured him it would happen.

"I did a switch to vote yes, but then I've reminded him since then that he gave me that commitment," he said.

Bacon added he will work with the Appropriations Committee to ensure local public media receives some federal funding.

Ukraine and the U.S.

Bacon said he supports peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, what he doesn't support is some of the statements Trump made about the tensions.

"The President said that Zelensky could end this war tomorrow if he wanted. That's just a dumb comment," Bacon said. "That's why I was, like, mad...We want to see this war end, but we've got to have clarity. It's Putin who did this invasion. It was Russia that invaded Ukraine."

As far as the U.S.'s involvement in the region, "We shouldn't be neutral, arbitrary. We should be, in the end, we want to stand for the side of freedom and help out a country that is wanting to be democracy, wanting free markets, wanting rule of law," Bacon said.