Let’s take a moment to put away the emotion, the partisanship, and the division and look at what’s happening at the so-called Cornhusker Clink in a truly rational, logical manner.

To do that, I’m going to start with an analogy that should be relatable to everyone.

If you are planning on having guests over to your house, you want to make sure the place is nice and clean. You and the rest of the family will dress up to make your home life look even more presentable. You might even add flowers or some other special touch to make your-self look good.

But how does your place look if someone stops by unannounced on a random Tuesday?

Are there dirty dishes in the sink? Have you dusted the coffee table? Are children’s toys scat-tered all over the living room? Maybe there are clothes on your bedroom floor and a bath-room that looks like a tornado hit it.

Obviously, you go out of your way to make the house look good when you know company’s coming.

Why would it be any different at the facility in McCook?

Recently, state senator Machaela Cavanaugh showed up unannounced to see what is going on behind closed doors. She was turned away twice, even though by law a state senator has every right to tour Nebraska’s prison facilities unannounced. It’s their job to get a realistic view of the prisons to make sure things are being run properly.

When this story made the news, the governor said that the senators were all invited to tour the facility on Dec. 15th. But to do so, they had to fill out the proper paperwork and have it turned in to the state so they and the feds could review the request.

To no one’s surprise, the media will not be allowed to join them. Only the state senators and a representative of Governor Pillen’s office will be on the tour.

Now let’s look back at my earlier analogy.

Who gets the real perspective of how you live? The guest you invited to your home or the one who stops by unexpectedly?

Obviously, the unexpected guest will get a better glimpse of the real you.

Why would it be any different at the McCook detention facility?

It isn’t. And that’s why this organized tour for state senators won’t give anyone a real glimpse at what’s going on. They’ll get a homogenized version where the guards and staff will be all dressed up and on their best behavior.

This organized tour for the state senators is a sham. It’s a con job. The governor and the De-partment of Homeland Security don’t want you to know what is really going on. But our state senators have every right to show up unannounced.

They not only have every right, but they also have an obligation to make sure these fellow humans are living in safe and sanitary conditions. They need to see what is really going on in there and let us know what they see. The truth and not the polished, shiny look that the state and the feds want to present.

We were told by the president that ICE would only be deporting the worst of the worst. But for every worst of the worst that’s arrested, many of the best of the best are being abducted as well. They are sent to places like McCook before being sent out of the country.

Recently, in a House hearing, Department of Homeland Security director Kristi Noem was grilled by representatives from both sides of the aisle about who is being deported and why.

If you haven’t seen it, do a quick YouTube search for the interaction between Secretary No-em and Rhode Island representative Seth Magaziner. The representative gave three examples of good people who have served our country in the military, who have been deported or de-tained. I’m sure he could have done more, but he was only allotted so much time.

Listen to her responses and ask yourself if this is the America you want to live in. Listen to her responses and then open your history books.

This is not a partisan issue. This is a human rights issue.

When all is said and done, we are not Republicans or Democrats, we are Americans. And those who are living in this country without the proper paperwork are still human beings.

We need to make sure those humans in McCook are treated humanely.

Once you take away the emotion, the partisanship, and the division, the only logical re-sponse is to fix our immigration laws so immigrants can live in peace.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.