LINCOLN — As Nebraska moves forward in converting a McCook state prison into an ICE detention center, concerns grow about the Governor’s Office stonewalling public requests seeking more about what is going on.

By late September, Gov. Jim Pillen’s office had denied at least nine public records requests asking for information about the state’s negotiations with the federal government regarding the McCook Work Ethic Camp, records obtained by the Nebraska Examiner indicate. Additionally, there’s evidence that broader requests on the subject have also been denied, although some state agencies, including the prison system, have released some records.

These denials raised the eyebrows of local activists and legal experts who say they are suspicious that potentially thousands of public records c

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