From swamps to fields: Trump's new Alligator Alcatraz is a Cornhusker Clink to detail migrants
State officials shared plans on Tuesday for an immigrant detention center in the sparsely populated southwest corner of the Cornhusker State.
Dubbed the 'Cornhusker Clink,' an ode to the state's nickname, the McCook, Nebraska, site will be the latest deportation-focused migrant detention center helping Trump detain illegal immigrants set to be deported.
Sticking with the theme of naming migrant holding facilities with local flair, the Cornhusker Clink follows in the footsteps of Florida 's 'Alligator Alcatraz.'
Another facility in Indiana opened up earlier this month called the 'Speedway Slammer,' named for the state's famous annual NASCAR race, the Indianapolis 500.
Similar to the 'Slammer,' the 'Clink' will take an existing prison facility and use its extra space to house migrants slated for removal or under pending investigation.
'This is about keeping Nebraskans – and Americans across our country – safe,' Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said in a statement announcing the facility.
The governor announced that the state and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) struck a deal to use the Nebraska facility, which can currently house up to 200 people but is expanding to accommodate up to 300.
'COMING SOON to Nebraska: Cornhusker Clink,' DHS Sec. Kristi Noem posted on X. 'We're announcing a new partnership with the state of Nebraska to expand detention bed space by 280 beds.'
'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. Avoid arrest and self deport now using the CBP Home App,' Noem warned.
The DHS X account later reposted Noem's statement with an AI-generated picture of husks of corn in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hats in a prison-like cornfield.
During a press conference announcing the project, Gov. Pillen noted that the McCook facility will be located near a regional airport, making it easy for federal authorities to travel to and from the 'Cornhusker Clink.'
He was unsure whether the planned facility would house men, women or children.
Pillen first heard that the federal government was interested in a Nebraska-based facility five days ago, last Friday.
The governor also announced that the Nebraska National Guard would help with logistical and administrative support for the migrant detention facility.
ICE detention centers are currently bursting at the seams due to Trump's deportation crackdown.
As of June, ICE centers held over 56,000 migrants, the most since 2019.
The push to open up detention centers comes a month after Congress approved Trump's sweeping, multi-trillion-dollar bill, dubbed the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill,' which contained billions for deportation enforcement.
'Alligator Alcatraz,' a Florida detention center opened in July and located in the middle of the Everglades, has been touted by the White House as the crown jewel of Trump's growing deportation machine.
During its opening ceremony, Trump toured the facility while standing alongside a cast of Republican allies, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Secretary Noem.
At the time, the president claimed the new detention center 'might be as good as the real Alcatraz.'
In only a matter of weeks, Alligator Alcatraz was built to hold more than 3,000 migrant detainees. The facility features tents, trailers and other temporary living utilities needed to house the migrants.
However, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Mary Williams issued a temporary restraining order in early August following testimony about the environmental impact of the facility.
The judge will allow the Florida government and the Trump administration to continue using the facility to house detainees but will limit additional construction for the next two weeks.
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