McCook Residents file lawsuit over unauthorized takeover of Work Ethic Camp

LINCOLN, NE - Yesterday, Nebraska Appleseed filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Red Willow County on behalf of former State Senator DiAnna Schimek and thirteen residents of McCook, Nebraska, to prevent Governor Jim Pillen’s unauthorized attempt to repurpose Nebraska’s Work Ethic Camp into a large-scale ICE detainment camp.

The Legislature, and not the Governor, has sole, constitutional authority to control or manage penal institutions. Additionally, under Nebraska law, only the Legislature may repurpose the use of public buildings. 

“Nebraska state law is clear: The Governor does not have the unilateral authority to change the purpose of any public building. That’s the Legislature’s job,” said Robert McEwen, Nebraska Appleseed’s Legal Director. “Our clients have expressed concern about the lack of transparency in making this decision and the many ways that replacing the Work Ethic Camp will cause harm to their community, including the loss of valuable services carried out by incarcerated men in the Work Ethic Camp.”

The Work Ethic Camp in McCook is the only correctional facility of its kind in the state. Authorized by the Nebraska Legislature in 1997 and opened in 2001, the WEC provides an integrated, community-based rehabilitation program, allowing inmates to build job skills and ties to the community during their time at the facility. The plaintiffs in the case are asking for a temporary restraining order and ultimately a permanent injunction to stop the Governor and the Department of Corrections from taking any further action to convert the facility into a detainment camp.