
Texas bill requiring Ten Commandments in public schools moves closer to governor's desk
A bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom in Texas has cleared a key legislative hurdle as it moves closer to the governor's desk. NBC News' Steven Romo has the details.May 26, 2025

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Trump, in reversal, may exempt farms and hotels from immigration raids
President Trump said in a social media post on Thursday that he is willing to exempt the agriculture and hotel industries from his nationwide immigration crackdown. The surprise move came after executives in both industries complained to Trump about losing reliable, longtime immigrant workers in immigration raids and struggling to replace them. 'Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,' Trump wrote. 'In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs," Trump added. "This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!' The New York Times reported the following day that a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official had ordered a pause in immigration raids of agricultural businesses, meat packing plants, restaurants and hotels. The senior ICE official also advised agents to stop arresting undocumented people who are not known to have committed a crime. Instead, agents were told to investigate and detain undocumented people with criminal backgrounds, according to the New York Times. In response to a question from NBC News regarding Trump's pause, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin did not dispute it. 'We will follow the president's direction and continue to work to get the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens off of America's streets," McLaughlin said in a statement. An immigration crossroads The potentially significant change in the administration's approach to immigration comes as Trump faces a political crossroads. Immigration raids in Los Angeles sparked days of violent protests there and helped fuel sweeping anti-Trump protests nationwide on Saturday. At the same time, Trump repeatedly promised his supporters during the 2024 campaign that he would deport a million people a year, the largest mass deportations in U.S. history. To meet that goal, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller demanded last month that ICE arrest at least 3,000 undocumented people a day. Three former DHS officials told NBC News that ICE officials will have to significantly increase raids of large workplaces nationwide to meet those goals. Those sites include farms, meat-packing plants, hotels and restaurants — the industries that Trump appears to have exempted. One former ICE official said that only raids on 'construction, dairy [and] meat processing facilities, carpet mills' would result in the large number of detentions Miller has demanded. 'It's these low-wage jobs, that is where you get the numbers,' the former official said. During the 2024 campaign and since taking office, Trump has dismissed warnings from experts that such large-scale deportations would lead to worker shortages in the industries he is apparently exempting now. But groups that support Trump's crackdown expect him to keep his promise. 'They should be going after them,' said Ira Mehlman, spokesperson for Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group that supports a crackdown on undocumented workers. ' I don't think there is going to be a huge swath of the country that will be upset if they bust these companies, if they are employing illegal immigrants and passing on the cost to everyone else.' Targeting slaughterhouses For years, slaughterhouses have been one of the industry's best known for relying on newly arrived immigrant labor, in part, due to the difficult and dangerous nature of the work. And many slaughterhouses are located in red states scattered throughout the Midwest and Southeast. Texas alone has almost 500 meat and food processing plants, according to USDA data. Earlier this week, ICE agents raided a locally owned slaughterhouse in Omaha, Nebraska and arrested at least 80 undocumented workers, according to local Hartmann, a spokesperson for Glenn Valley Foods, said in a statement that federal agents searched the company's facility 'for persons believed to be using fraudulent documents to gain employment.' He said that the company strives to operate within the law, that it is cooperating with agents and that it 'is not being charged with any crime.' But so far large slaughterhouses have not been consistently targeted by ICE around the country. Since Trump took office in January, ICE's workplace enforcement raids appear to have largely targeted smaller businesses such as a roofer in Bellingham, Washington, a Mexican restaurant in Harlingen, Texas and a small equipment manufacturer in South Dakota. One of the largest workplace raids to date — which yielded more than 100 arrests —was of a construction site in Tallahassee overseen by a privately-owned Florida-based construction company. Larry Stine, an employment attorney who represents some of the largest meat-packing plants in the Southeastern United States says his clients are 'terrified' of a possible raid and have been actively conducting audits of their employees' paperwork. Few construction industry raids Trump did not mention an exemption for the construction industry, which also employs large numbers of immigrant workers. So far, though, the construction industry has experienced relatively few ICE raids, industry officials said. Brian Turmail, vice president of public affairs for the Associated General Contractors of America, said that to date, he is only aware of sporadic reports of construction-site raids, such as one in Tallahassee on May 29 where more than 100 allegedly undocumented individuals were detained. The contractors' association continues to prepare members for how to respond if the pace of enforcement actions increases. 'We've been reposting compliance information now that it's a bit more real,' Turmail said. Turmail said he remains confident that the president is sensitive to the needs of the construction industry, whose decades-long workforce shortage has only grown more acute in recent years. It's one reason why construction costs have been surging, he said, something that, in turn, has resulted in construction spending declining year on year for the first time since 2019. 'Between higher labor and higher material costs, it's putting developers on the sidelines because projects don't pencil out anymore,' Turmail said. Members of the contactors' association remain hopeful that the administration's promises to reorient more of the workforce toward vocational skills will turn into federal spending to do so. Turmail predicted that worker shortages will persist and likely worsen if the immigration crackdown continues. One way the administration could help address them, he added, would be creating ways for construction workers to enter the country legally. 'Even if we got all the funding we wanted, we'd still need to also find some temporary lawful pathways for people to come in and work in construction,' Turmail said. Democrats say Trump's campaign promises of millions of mass deportations are hitting economic realities. John Sandweg, who served as ICE director during the Obama administration, said that to maintain its 3,000 arrests per day quota, the Trump administration would have to raid factories owned by large corporations. 'No doubt some Fortune 500 will get hit,' he said.


NBC News
3 hours ago
- NBC News
How a city in Nebraska is recovering after the state's largest worksite immigration raid
Immigration The city of Omaha is trying to forge ahead following the raid's chilling effect on the local workforce and the community at large. June 15, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT By Nicole Acevedo OMAHA, Nebraska — Every seat in the waiting area of Glenn Valley Foods was occupied with people filling out job applications early Thursday afternoon, two days after the meatpacking plant became the center of the largest worksite immigration raid in the state of Nebraska so far this year. Dozens of prospective employees, many of them Spanish speakers, had been coming in and out of the plant all day. Some were hoping to land a new job; others were coming in for training. The scene gave the company's president, Chad Hartmann, a glimmer of hope amid the chaos that ensued after Tuesday's raid purged roughly half of his staff — many of whom had been longtime employees of the company, which has been processing boxed beef for more than 15 years. Hartmann had never seen or experienced a raid before. He is finding out in real time that 'there's no playbook' on how to move forward after one, Hartmann told NBC News. The process of re-hiring new workers, Hartmann said, feels like asking someone to replace a family member. 'You cannot, in my mind,' he said. 'They were part of our family, and they were taken away.' Seventy-six people working at Glenn Valley Foods were arrested by federal immigration authorities Tuesday morning, the Department of Homeland Security told NBC News in an email. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the arrests were part of an enforcement operation to execute a federal search warrant in connection to an investigation into ' the large-scale employment of aliens without legal work authorization.' As of Friday night, criminal charges had not been filed against those arrested in the raid. About a dozen of them have already been deported or transferred out of state. At least 63 others were taken to the Lincoln County Detention Center. The county's sheriff, Jerome Kramer, said none of the detainees are 'violent offenders' and he hopes to help them 'complete the process to correct their work status and reunite them with families or employers.' Samantha Santiago, who owns a business selling accessories in South Omaha's predominantly Latino business district, said many of the detained people were her customers. 'There are just too many families who were affected,' she said in Spanish, adding that some of people in the community canceled " quinceañeras" and baptisms planned for this weekend because 'the sadness is too deep.' The raid happened on the same week John Ewing officially took office as the first Black mayor of Omaha. Ewing, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Jean Stothert in last month's election. At the same time, anti-ICE demonstrations have been raging across the nation in cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, New York and Philadelphia — protesting the tactics being used when conducting raids and immigration enforcement actions. 'It's a collective effort, as a community, to both mourn together and also try to find solutions together for everybody,' Douglas County Commissioner Roger Garcia, the first Latino to occupy that position, told NBC News. Douglas County, where Omaha is located, is one of just two counties in Nebraska that went blue during the 2024 presidential election. The state as a whole is largely considered a Republican stronghold. Nevada Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, issued a statement in support of the raids and signed a proclamation Friday to activate the National Guard as a precautionary measure ' in anticipation of anti-ICE protests ' this weekend. In a news conference Wednesday, Ewing said that he does not support workplace raids and Omaha police would not, as a normal course of business, ask people about their immigration status. The dueling points showcase the source of nationwide tensions as Americans grapple with President Donald Trump's actions to fulfill his campaign promise of mass deportations. On Friday, over 500 people protesting Omaha's immigration raids peacefully marched to Charles Schwab Field, where the College World Series — the city's biggest sporting event — was kicking off. 'It is big for tourism in Omaha,' Juan Elizondo, one of the protest's lead organizers, told NBC News. 'The nation here with us — being there present, and letting them hear us, I think is more impactful.' A diverse crowd of demonstrators, from children and young people to older adults, were mostly dressed in white to show peace, though a handful of them even dressed in work uniforms to symbolize immigrants' contributions. Most of them held signs, upside down American flags signaling distress and Latin American flags to represent some of the people's heritage. Dozens of other people driving by honked at the demonstrators and placed flags outside their car windows to show support. The march marked the first time Elizondo, 32, had organized a protest. As an Omaha native and a son of Mexican immigrants, Elizondo said, he felt compelled to step up after he saw that the main message of the protests across the nation was being marred by instances of violence. 'This is definitely an extreme moment in the community,' he said. 'It's gotten a lot more political.' Reeling from the aftermath News of the ICE raid this week sent a crippling, chilling effect across the city. The local library and community college closed early on Tuesday. Construction sites and other workplaces have been desolate. South Omaha's business district, known as a vibrant Hispanic and immigrant enclave, shut down immediately after the raid. As of Friday, some had reopened. About a third of the remaining staff at Glenn Valley Foods showed up to work on Wednesday, with many staying home because they still felt afraid or traumatized, resulting in a roughly 20% drop in production that day, according to Hartmann. As more of the remaining employees showed up Thursday morning — most still reeling from the stress caused by the raid — workers and employees held a meeting. Hartmann described the meeting as a combination of 'tough love' and even passionate disagreements, as people tried to make sense of what happened and find a way to move forward. About 80 employees were at the plant processing meat early Friday afternoon. At the South Omaha business district, a popular Mexican bakery reopened Friday and welcomed dozens of customers taking home pastries for Father's Day weekend. Three hair stylists sat outside their empty salon. They said this weekend tends to be busy for the business, but many of their immigrant customers were not coming in because they were still afraid to be out in public following the raid. Santiago was back at her store Friday after taking a couple of days to process what was happening around her. During those two days, Santiago said she would cry unprompted 'every five minutes.' To find comfort, she went to church and prayed. Scrolling on social media, Santiago saw GoFundMe pages, raffles and other efforts to raise funds for the families affected by the raids. She said some are struggling to afford legal fees and immigration attorneys as well as keep up with family expenses without their spouse's income. Looking for a way to help, Santiago had the idea to take a portion of the proceeds from her bestselling item — the popular Labubu dolls — and donate them to the affected families. Commissioner Garcia's family is among those directly impacted by the raids. His wife's aunt was among the 76 people who were taken into immigration custody. Her son was able to speak with her on Wednesday at around 1 a.m. and learned she was being taken to an immigration processing center in Omaha. Currently, she is at a state detention center elsewhere. 'A lot of these individuals have been here for many years, if not decades, raising a family here, have citizen children and family members here, and they don't fit that profile of being the high-level criminals that are supposed to be the priority for immigration enforcement,' Garcia said. Grappling with a system that 'needs to be repaired' Wrapping and loading boxes of product into trucks, processing meat, maintaining the intricate machinery and repairing and cleaning the plant: these are some of the jobs, Hartmann said, that workers at Glenn Valley Foods do to ensure the meatpacking plant passes strict Safe Quality Food audits and inspections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hartmann explained some of these jobs require rigorous safety training; 'it takes skilled people that take pride in what they do,' he said. The company's president said they have continuously used E-Verify as part of their hiring process. The system is operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration to let employers know if a prospective employee has legal authorization to work in the U.S. Every employee at Glenn Valley Foods, including those who were detained by ICE, has been approved through E-Verify, Hartmann said. When he told this to DHS during the raid, an agency official described the system they operate as flawed and easy to cheat. Now, as he hires a new workforce, Hartmann has no other alternative but to continue using E-Verify system to screen employees, he said. 'That system doesn't capture a solution if somebody's got a fake ID. That's what needs to be repaired.' Garcia said that limiting immigrants' ability to remain in the country legally is what often pushes people to 'borrow' or 'make up' false identifications. It is for the 'sole purpose of working and nothing else, because there has been no other way for them to adjust their status and work under their own proper name or identification.' 'But our comprehensive immigration reform efforts have not gone through yet, unfortunately. And it's still badly needed,' García said. In researching alternatives for E-Verify with guidance from Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., DHS and federal authorities, Hartmann said the options he was presented included temporary work visa programs such as H-1A — meant for industries dealing with workforce shortages — and H-2B, for nonagricultural jobs. But because these immigration programs are for seasonal workers, 'it doesn't fit our needs,' Hartmann said. Saying goodbye to workers every six months is 'not building a business.' Hartmann wishes government officials would consider creating a limited period of amnesty for undocumented people who 'meet certain qualifications' such as never having committed a crime, a desire to work, pay taxes and be part of the community. This could be a temporary remedy for people looking to get legal immigration status, he suggested. While that might not be the answer to the larger immigration issue, he said it's 'some version that makes sense.' 'There should be no problem with that,' Hartmann said, 'to just stop the bleeding, stop the problem.' A new generation of residents speak out Elizondo organized Friday's protest with the help and support of other more experienced Latino and immigrant rights advocates. A group of them met on Thursday afternoon at a downtown Omaha restaurant to plan the demonstration. They shared advice on how to work with local law enforcement to ensure the protests remained peaceful and focused on how immigration raids are hurting their communities, the community activists said. 'That has made the new generation speak up,' Rosa la Puente, one of the advocates mentoring Elizondo, said about the recent events. Many in the community are questioning the timing of the Omaha raid, wondering if the city was targeted for political reasons. When asked about this at a news conference on Wednesday, Ewing said, 'I don't know why Omaha was targeted.' For young Omaha residents like Elizondo and Jennifer Reyna, 29, the issue feels personal. Elizondo said he was inspired to step up after he saw his mother's leadership, consoling co-workers at James Skinner Baking, a local baking manufacturer, who were paralyzed with fear following the raid. 'It breaks your heart,' he said. Reyna, who attended Friday's protest, said they want their voices heard beyond Omaha. 'Everyone at this point in time in the community is afraid and is extremely upset,' Reyna said. Amid a feeling of helplessness, "we're trying to live normal, hardworking lives in this country that we do love,' she said. Nicole Acevedo Nicole Acevedo is a national reporter for NBC News and NBC Latino.


NBC News
2 days ago
- NBC News
Iran fires wave of missiles at Israel in retaliatory strikes
Iran fired a wave of missiles at Israel tonight, but most were intercepted by Israeli air defenses. It followed Israel's strikes on Iran's military leadership and nuclear facilities. NBC News' Matt Bradley reports.