Planned ICE facility spurs mixed reactions in McCook

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s plan to convert the state’s Work Ethic Camp in McCook into a detention center for people ICE wants to deport has roused strong reactions across the state, including in McCook. A visit to the southwest Nebraska city revealed decidedly mixed feelings.

An early morning fog burns off, and sunlight beams down on the cars and trucks rumbling down the red brick pavement in downtown McCook. Nearby, a carillon finishes announcing the time, and a visiting reporter asks Sandy Madden of nearby Trenton her views on the planned ICE facility.

“I support ICE, and it has to be done. I think where we're located, we're in the middle of the United States, and it seems to be a good place to have it,” she said.

Not so, said McCook resident Emma Matson.

“I just think it's weird for a small town to turn that into the concentration camp. Well, not concentration camp -- but basically,” she said.

That range of opinion comes as no surprise to McCook City Manager Nate Schneider.

“I would assume it’s a mixed bag, based on individual political beliefs,” he said.

But Schneider added he tries not to pay attention to the politics.

“We kind of throw political beliefs out the window for right now, because we have to make sure that we are accounting for the things that we can control,” he said.

Issues of control, and a lack of information, surfaced after Pillen announced plans for the ICE facility in late August. In mid-September, local officials posted on Facebook they had only limited information on questions about the plan.

In a recent interview, Schneider said communication with state officials has improved.

“I appreciate the fact that we had a good conversation this past week. I think there was some transparent conversation, and I'm hoping that that kind of conversation continues moving forward. Prior in time to that, there just wasn't much conversation,” he said.

Work has now begun on constructing a new fence around the Work Ethic Camp. But a spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services said this week that there is still no contract with the federal government working out details for the facility.

Dylan Schumacher of McCook objects to how the state has treated the city.

“The way they went about it was totally wrong. Instead of coming and asking what people thought, they went and had a closed door meeting with the mayor and basically told the mayor, ‘This is what's happening. Get on board,’” he said.

Schumacher said plans for the ICE facility remind him of the internment camps for Japanese-Americans during World War II.

“Did we not learn from the last time we tried all these things? We want the bad guys gone -- I understand that. But we've tried that with putting people away and locking them up just because of where they're from. It didn't work out. So maybe we should try a different tactic,” he said.

Mike Schoup of McCook said he sympathizes with people who may be deported.

“It's unfortunate that they came over illegally. It's unfortunate their families are going to be split up, but they made that choice,” he said.

Schoup added his family history shows how immigration should work.

“My grandfather came over when he was seven years old, from Russia. They were German from Russia, immigrants. My great grandfather brought his family with my granddad over at seven years old, we went through the process, and I think that that has to happen,” he said.

But Gabby Hernandez, who runs Tequila’s Mexican Grill in downtown McCook, said these days, the immigration system is broken. With her son, Max Esparza, translating, Hernandez says some people have already left, and she worries about the future.

“This was a happy community until Mexicans, like other people, found out that ICE is coming here, and then my mom thinks it's like community is not going to be the same with them around,” he said

What the lasting effects on the community are, will be seen in the months and years to come.