McCook prison facility continues preparations for ICE detainees after court clears final hurdle

McCOOK, Neb. (WOWT) - Any day now, immigration detainees will arrive at a former minimum-security facility in central Nebraska.

A Red Willow County district court judge removed the last legal hurdle Monday .

The McCook facility, located about four hours southwest of Omaha in a community of 7,200 people, required the transfer of nearly 200 inmates in recent weeks to make way for Homeland Security detainees. The inmate relocations led to a lawsuit and uncertainty before the court cleared the way for the governor’s plan.

Facility upgrades & security changes

A new 12-foot fence topped with razor wire surrounds the facility at a cost of $750,000. Another $5 million in renovations were made to rooms and security systems not visible from the highway — and media access to the facility has be