Here are letters that the NE Snail Mail group has sent to elected representatives. Where available, we also post the replies received. Feel free to submit your own letters and replies to be posted to sarah@catladychaos.com.
Click the header to open each letter.
Sept. 24, 2025
Senator Bosn:
I am writing to voice strong opposition to the proposal to convert the Work Ethics Camp located in McCook to an immigration detention center. The facility as is is a valuable state asset that the governor has unilaterally decided to give to the Federal Government. Why? There has been no explanation of how this benefits Nebraska.
The expense inherent in expanding the camp, the stress on infrastructure moving prisoners in and (hopefully) out, the slipshod way ICE has proven to build and maintain other detention facilities, the reported deaths of prisoners due to lack of trained staff - which of these is a benefit to our state??
You have strongly proclaimed your devotion to "family values" and your spiritual faith. Are YOU comfortable with not knowing if children will be held there? Or if not, separating them from their families as is the consistent pattern of ICE? Are you comfortable with the inhumane treatment of detainees in other states? Do you think ICE will behave differently here? What about moving young, non-violent first-time offenders into prisons with hardened criminals instead of leaving them in the work camp, where they are benefitting area communities and learning life skills that keep them from re-offending? Where are the Nebraska values here?
What is the legislature's role in this process? Where is your support of the state of Nebraska? Where is the determination to do what is best for Nebraska citizens?
All the noise from the executive branch in recent years about independence from Federal interference and control, and here the governor is, simply handing over Nebraska assets to what has become the biggest Federal department in history, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Criminal immigrants are not a problem in Nebraska - why are we taking on other states' criminals when we don't have room for our own?
Questions about this proposal and what the effect on Nebraska will be have gone unanswered by the Executive Branch, and you, as Chair of the Judicial Committee, have ignored challenges to the legality of the Governor's actions.
Please rethink your support of this proposal, for the sake of all Nebraskans.
Kathleen (Redacted)
(Redacted address)
Lincoln, NE