Ruling issued on lawsuit over McCook Work Ethic Camp
Nebraska Appleseed take on WEC Lawsuit
LINCOLN, NE – Red Willow County District Judge Patrick Heng has issued a ruling in the lawsuit filed by Nebraska Appleseed 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 plaintiffs in the case asked for a temporary injunction 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. The Defendants had requested the court dismiss the suit.
Today, Judge Heng ruled that the Plaintiffs and the Defendants motions should both be denied. This means that the case will continue and not be dismissed, but it also means the repurposing of the Work Ethic Camp will continue as the case progresses.
Robert McEwen, Nebraska Appleseed’s Legal Director, issued the following statement:
“While we are disappointed that the Court did not decide to halt the advancement of changes to the Work Ethic Camp that would include detainment, we are pleased that Judge Heng has not dismissed the case. The case will carry forward from here, and we will continue to represent the interests of our clients in halting the activities of the Defendants as they relate to the large-scale detainment camp in McCook.”
Gov. Pillen Provides Statement After Judge Denies Temporary Injunction for WEC
LINCOLN, NE — Governor Jim Pillen released the following statement after Red Willow County District Judge Patrick Heng denied a request for a temporary injunction in a lawsuit aimed at preventing the State from converting the Work Ethic Camp (WEC) to an ICE detention facility.
“I appreciate that the court expedited this decision, which affirms the State’s right to enter into the contract with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and provides the authority to operate the detention facility under the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS),” said Gov. Pillen. “The agreement we have with DHS is good for Nebraska’s taxpayers and it ensures we are doing all that we can to keep criminal, illegal aliens off our streets.”
Last week, the facility underwent a final walk-through by ICE inspectors and was approved for use. Rob Jeffreys, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS), praised the work of his team: “Passing these inspections is a testament to our team’s commitment to safety, security, and professionalism. I appreciate the attention to detail shown at every level of this facility and the strong partnerships and cooperation with DHS and ICE that have made this possible.”
The contract between the DHS/ICE and WEC will net the state around $14 million annually. Taking into consideration all costs associated with housing detainees, the state will receive approximately $2.4 million per month.