Adj. Gen. Craig Strong who oversees the Nebraska National Guard and Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, right, joins Gov. Jim Pillen at a news conference to celebrate legislation for Guard recruitment and retention. Dec. 10, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

OMAHA — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen clarified that the Nebraska National Guard’s role in the use of the McCook Work Ethic Camp as a federal detention facility for migrants will be administrative and not law enforcement.

The governor answered questions about the role during a news conference on a separate topic Monday in Douglas County. He said the 20 troops participating at the McCook-based U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation will do DNA swabs, fingerprint detainees and similar work.

He said he asked the Guard fo

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