- US President Trump announced the opening of Cornhusker Clink immigration detention centre in Nebraska
- Cornhusker Clink adds 280 beds, currently housing 200 detainees, to ICE detention capacity
- Trump aims to hold 100,000 undocumented migrants in detention nationwide under ICE expansion plan
US President Donald Trump has announced the opening of a new migrant detention centre in Nebraska, as part of his administration's plan to expand facilities for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The new facility is called the "Cornhusker Clink." Under Trump's ongoing expansion of ICE's detention capacity, the country has already seen the opening of "Alligator Alcatraz" in Florida and "Speedway Slammer" in Indiana.
What is Cornhusk Clink?
Cornhusk Clink is designed to accommodate undocumented immigrants who are either awaiting deportation or going through immigration court proceedings.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the new facility aimed to expand detention space by 280 beds. The new facility currently houses 200 beds, reported NBC Montana.
Initially, the "Work Ethic Camp" was created to reduce overcrowding in state prisons, but now it will also be used to help with immigration detention.
Trump's immigration detention centres
Trump plans to increase ICE detention capacity across the country and aims to hold 1 lakh undocumented migrants at the same time.
According to internal data obtained by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), the facility had the capacity to hold 62,000 people in April. At present, ICE has about 59,000 undocumented immigrants in detention, compared to about 39,000 illegal migrants by the end of the Biden presidency.
At least 11 facilities have been opened or expanded as part of this broader push. According to The New York Post, these new or expanded centres have created more than 18,000 new detention beds.
"Alligator Alcatraz" can hold up to 3,000 illegal migrants at a time, while "East Montana Detention Centre" in Fort Bliss, El Paso, a new detention facility that opened on Sunday, can house up to 5,000 migrants. "Speedway Slammer" in Indiana will also hold up to 1,000 migrants.
The One Big Beautiful Bill is providing funding for the new facility, enabling ICE to open 80,000 new detention beds, DHS said.
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