This week, Governor Jim Pillen announced that ICE has plans to repurpose a facility in McCook, Nebraska as a large-scale federal detainment camp. The 200 capacity building will be used to incarcerate up to 300 immigrant community members from Nebraska and surrounding states.
This is part of a harmful, dangerous and rapid national expansion of ICE enforcement capacity – with damaging effects on local communities – that includes the potential for 125 additional ICE detention facilities across the country.
This is not who we are. Nebraska is a state that welcomes our neighbors and values the contributions of local moms, dads, coworkers, neighbors, and friends.
We need policy change, NOT punishment.
TAKE ACTION: Tell Governor Pillen that Nebraskans say NO to opening a cruel and harmful ICE detainment camp anywhere in our state:
The country’s immigration laws have not been meaningfully updated in nearly 40 years. This leaves friends, families, and neighbors vulnerable to immigration enforcement who have been unable to access stable immigration status despite their best efforts to navigate the nation’s outdated immigration laws. Nebraskans want immigration policy change, not punishment and military deployments.
Nebraskans do not want us to be known as a state that separates families and locks up and detains members of our communities. We want positive and updated immigration laws that support strong Nebraska communities, families, workforce needs, and our future.
Thank you for taking the time to share your comments and for your continued advocacy.