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.[3] To make room for the detention center, all 186 inmates currently at the Work Ethic Camp will be moved to different facilities.[4]
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.[5] The prison was authorized in 1997 and opened in 2001. As of 2023, the prison only has 200 beds.[6] 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.[4]
Criticism
Upon its announcement, the prison immediately received criticism from many Nebraska lawmakers and the Nebraska ACLU.[7] Protestors sat outside the governor's office on the afternoon after the announcement.[3] 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.[8] 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.[9]
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