Detainee Accounts Revealed
Former Detainees Detail Experiences Inside Nebraska's New McCook ICE Detention Center
Three former detainees have spoken out about life inside Nebraska's McCook immigration detention center, describing communication blackouts, extreme isolation, and nearly impossible access to lawyers. The facility, a converted state prison 210 miles from Lincoln, has held more than 150 men since opening in November 2025, according to Flatwater Free Press.
The state of Nebraska earns $2.45 million per month from the federal government to run the site. Governor Jim Pillen and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem dubbed it the "Cornhusker Clink," modeling it after Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" facility. But migrants held inside say the reality is far darker than the branding suggests.
Tablet Cutoffs Signal Deportation Is Coming
Inside McCook, detainees share tablets to call family and contact lawyers. But former detainee José Eduardo López Muñoz says officials use those devices as a silent warning. On March 13, 2026, his tablet access was cut off without explanation. No guard told him anything. According to Flatwater Free Press, detainees have learned that losing tablet access is the first sign deportation is imminent.
Phone calls are another lifeline — but an expensive one. Calls at Red Willow County facilities cost $0.20 per minute, according to Flatwater Free Press. That adds up fast for men with little money trying to reach attorneys or family. The combination of high call costs and shared, restricted tablets leaves many detainees nearly cut off from the outside world.
Rural Location Leaves Detainees in a Legal Desert
McCook sits in the southwestern corner of Nebraska, far from any major legal hub. Many detainees were swept up in raids in Minnesota and transferred south. Advocate Alexander Smith told Flatwater Free Press that ICE appears to be moving people to Nebraska deliberately — to avoid judges in Minnesota who may be less favorable to quick deportations.
The legal gap is real. Lawyers licensed in Minnesota are not automatically licensed to practice in Nebraska. That means migrants can lose their attorneys simply by being transferred. The problem got worse in April 2026 when the University of Nebraska-Lincoln closed its Immigration Law Clinic, stripping away one of the few free legal resources in the state, according to Flatwater Free Press.
State Profits While Former Prison Programs Disappear
Nebraska expects to net roughly $14.25 million per year from the McCook deal. Governor Pillen called it a win-win, saying it saves taxpayers $10.2 million in prison operating costs while bringing in federal money. But the conversion came at a cost. About 180 inmates from the old Work Ethic Camp were displaced. Those inmates had worked on local roads and in schools — programs local officials called a success story, according to Flatwater Free Press.
McCook Mayor Linda Taylor told Flatwater Free Press that city officials got only a 30-minute meeting before the public announcement. The facility is now set to expand from 200 to 300 beds by converting activity rooms into housing. Advocates warn the expansion could lead to overcrowding. Jennifer Houlden of the ACLU of Nebraska said the public is "entitled to understand what their government is doing in their name" — but at least nine public records requests about the facility were denied by September 2025.
Detainees Describe Waiting With Nothing to Do
The old Work Ethic Camp was built around education and job training. The goal was to help low-level offenders transition back into society. The new detention center has no such programs. Former detainees describe days of simply waiting — no classes, no work, no clear sense of what comes next. According to Flatwater Free Press, the atmosphere inside is one of "waiting for the end."
The facility is now the subject of a broad investigative report published June 28, 2026. It is the most detailed account yet of life inside the "Cornhusker Clink." With capacity set to grow to 300 beds and the UNL law clinic gone, advocates say the situation for detainees is likely to get worse before it gets better, according to Flatwater Free Press.
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