LINCOLN, Nebraska — State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh says the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services twice denied her access to the McCook ICE detention facility, calling the refusal a violation of state law and an attack on legislative oversight authority. The facility, a former Work Ethic Camp, now holds migrants in federal detention under an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Cavanaugh said she traveled four hours to conduct an unannounced inspection in mid-November but was turned away, despite a Nebraska statute allowing legislators to visit any state correctional facility “at any time.” She attempted to return the next morning after issuing written notice but was rejected again, prompting her to notify legislative leaders.
Emails show Corrections Director Rob Jeffreys told Cavanaugh she failed to follow required safety and notice protocols, arguing that ICE rules supersede immediate entry. He said unannounced visits are incompatible with security operations and that short notice does not allow the department to coordinate with federal partners.
Cavanaugh disputes that interpretation, saying the ICE contract itself states that any provisions conflicting with Nebraska law are “null and void.” She argues that preventing lawmakers from entering a detention facility where people are held without criminal charges undermines public accountability.
She urged the Legislature’s Executive Board to intervene, calling the denials “unprecedented” and part of a broader pattern of limited transparency around the McCook project.
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