Protesters gather outside Governor's Mansion to oppose Nebraska ICE jail

[Omaha Steve]

https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/22/protesters-gather-in-front-of-nebraska-governors-mansion-to-oppose-new-ice-jail/

Gov. Jim Pillen says new ICE facility in McCook is ‘ready to roll’

By: Juan Salinas II - August 22, 2025 5:02 pm

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Governor’s Mansion was a bit busier than usual on Friday.

Roughly 150 protesters gathered outside the mansion Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen sometimes calls home to protest his plans for a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility at a state prison in the southwestern part of the state. State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha spoke to the protesters, saying she needs to “be stronger so I can advocate for my immigrant community.”

“Much has changed in our country since January,” Juarez said. “President [Donald] Trump is pursuing his goal of removing undocumented immigrants from our country without due process.”

Trump, throughout his 2024 presidential campaign, posted on social media promising voters what he called “the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” after the Biden administration saw illegal border crossings spike at the end of 2023 and start decreasing last year. Trump has said he is pursuing the deportations to “keep our families safe.” Pillen has said of the facility, “Government’s most important job is to keep us safe.”

FULL story at link above.


State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, at center speaking. Aug. 22, 2025. (Photo by Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)