The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the launch of a new immigrant detention facility in Nebraska, marking a major expansion of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
Nicknamed the “Cornhusker Clink,” the new facility is located at the Work Ethic Camp in McCook, Nebraska. Through a partnership with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, the center adds 280 detention beds to the federal system and is part of DHS’s plan to dramatically increase capacity nationwide.
Part of a Nationwide Expansion
According to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the new Nebraska facility is just one of dozens being rolled out under the administration’s broader immigration enforcement agenda. Funding for the expansion comes from the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” passed earlier this year, which authorized funding for 80,000 additional ICE detention beds and boosted resources for federal-state partnerships under the 287(g) program.
“COMING SOON to Nebraska: Cornhusker Clink,” Noem said in her statement. “Thanks to Governor Pillen for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Nebraska’s Cornhusker Clink.”
The facility’s opening is intended not only to increase detention capacity, but also to strengthen immigration enforcement in states far from the southern border.
Nebraska’s Role in Immigration Enforcement
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen welcomed the partnership, praising his state’s role in aiding DHS efforts. “I am pleased that our facility and team in McCook can be tasked with helping our federal partners protect our homeland by housing criminal illegal aliens roaming our country’s communities today,” Pillen said.
He added that Nebraska’s State Patrol and National Guard will continue to work alongside ICE, much as they did during his previous deployments to the southern border under President Biden. “Homeland security starts at home,” Pillen said.
DHS Push for Detention Expansion
The Cornhusker Clink is one of several facilities DHS has opened in recent months as part of an aggressive push to expand detention space. According to federal documents, ICE is planning to more than double its detention capacity by the end of 2025 — jumping from about 50,000 beds at the end of the Biden administration to more than 107,000 beds.
The expansion will include both permanent facilities and temporary “soft-sided” housing, such as large tents, to quickly scale up capacity. Two major private prison companies — Geo Group and CoreCivic — have been awarded new federal contracts to help carry out the expansion.
Large facilities are also in development in other states. In July, DHS announced a $1.26 billion project at Fort Bliss near El Paso, Texas, capable of housing up to 5,000 migrants. That facility will serve as a deportation hub due to its proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border and an on-site airfield. Additional housing projects have been announced at Camp Atterbury in Indiana and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.
Financial and Policy Justification
The Trump administration has defended the cost of the expansion by arguing that mass deportations and robust detention are ultimately cheaper than the long-term costs of illegal immigration. DHS estimates that the $45 billion in funding for detention expansion is a fraction of what it claims is the $150 billion annual burden of illegal immigration on U.S. taxpayers.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates that the net fiscal cost of illegal immigration — after accounting for tax contributions — averages $8,776 per migrant or U.S.-born child of migrants each year.
Supporters of the expansion argue that detaining and deporting individuals quickly prevents additional long-term costs to the healthcare, education, and criminal justice systems. Critics, however, say the massive expansion represents a costly and punitive approach to immigration policy.
Looking Ahead
The Nebraska facility symbolizes the Trump administration’s determination to implement large-scale immigration enforcement far beyond the border. By opening centers in states that previously had little ICE presence, DHS is signaling that enforcement will be nationwide, not just concentrated in border regions.
With over 30 additional facilities and projects planned in states across the country, the administration is on track to achieve the largest immigrant detention expansion in U.S. history by the end of 2025.
For migrants living in the U.S. unlawfully, DHS has been promoting “voluntary departure” options, including through the CBP Home App, which allows individuals to arrange their own return. But as Secretary Noem warned, those who remain risk detention in facilities like the Cornhusker Clink.
