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Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Owner of raided Omaha plant says he followed hiring rules
The owner of an Omaha food packaging plant that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided this week said Wednesday that his company relied on the government's web system to verify that his workers were in the country legally. 'We did everything we could possibly do,' Glenn Valley Foods owner Gary Rohwer told The Associated Press. Federal officials arrived at the Nebraska factory on Tuesday to screen nearly 100 people. About 70 employees were taken into custody, as part of President Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown and mass deportation initiative. Glenn Valley Foods is operating at about 30 percent capacity after the raid as the company tries to hire more workers, Rohwer told the AP. Company officials have blamed the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s nationwide E-Verify system, which relies on documents and social security numbers to determine whether potential employees can work in the U.S. legally. 'I'd like to see the United States government … come up with a program that they can communicate to the companies as to how to hire legitimate help. Period,' Rohwer said. The owner explained that federal officials said his company was a victim of unauthorized workers using stolen identities or fake IDs to get around the E-Verify system. Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr., a Democrat who was sworn into office earlier this week, told NewsNation on Wednesday that he didn't know why the Nebraska city was targeted for the large-scale immigration sweep. 'Right now, what is happening across the country is a lot of fear is being created,' Ewing said. 'We don't have an understandable approach to immigration, especially when it comes to our Latino members of this country.' He called on Congress to develop a 'comprehensive immigration policy.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
19 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
Owner of raided Omaha plant says he followed hiring rules
The owner of an Omaha food packaging plant that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided this week said Wednesday that his company relied on the government's web system to verify that his workers were in the country legally. 'We did everything we could possibly do,' Glenn Valley Foods owner Gary Rohwer told The Associated Press. Federal officials arrived at the Nebraska factory on Tuesday to screen nearly 100 people. About 70 employees were taken into custody, as part of President Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown and mass deportation initiative. Glenn Valley Foods is operating at about 30 percent capacity after the raid as the company tries to hire more workers, Rohwer told the AP. Company officials have blamed the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s nationwide E-Verify system, which relies on documents and social security numbers to determine whether potential employees can work in the U.S. legally. 'I'd like to see the United States government … come up with a program that they can communicate to the companies as to how to hire legitimate help. Period,' Rohwer said. The owner explained that federal officials said his company was a victim of unauthorized workers using stolen identities or fake IDs to get around the E-Verify system. Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr., a Democrat who was sworn into office earlier this week, told NewsNation on Wednesday that he didn't know why the Nebraska city was targeted for the large-scale immigration sweep. 'Right now, what is happening across the country is a lot of fear is being created,' Ewing said. 'We don't have an understandable approach to immigration, especially when it comes to our Latino members of this country.' He called on Congress to develop a 'comprehensive immigration policy.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. criticizes worksite raids as Gov. Jim Pillen supports Trump actions
Roger Garcia, Douglas County Board chair, and Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. attend a press conference held Wednesday to call attention to the city's reaction to Tuesday's immigration enforcement in Omaha. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) OMAHA — Putting a face on the personal toll of worksite immigration raids, Douglas County Board Chair Roger Garcia on Wednesday shared that his own family member was among the nearly 80 people detained in Tuesday's high-profile federal operation. Garcia said his wife's aunt, a mother of three, was among those still being held by federal authorities and battling against deportation following the raid at Omaha's Glenn Valley Foods plant. So were moms of a couple of college friends, he said. Both Garcia and his wife, Yanira, are elected officials and community leaders. Yanira is an Omaha representative on the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority Board. Of their detained family member, Garcia said she has lived in the area for decades and was raising a family here with her husband. 'She's contributed back to the Omaha community and economy,' he said. 'We can assure you she was not involved in any high-level criminal activity.' Garcia was among local officials who spoke at a news conference the day after federal agents led the largest Nebraska immigration enforcement operation since President Donald Trump took office after Trump pledged massive deportations and a crackdown on immigration. Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. — who was sworn into office Monday night — said he 'certainly' does not support worksite immigration raids in the city he was elected to lead. He defeated three-term Republican Mayor Jean Stothert. Ewing said he has no influence, however, over whether or how such immigration enforcement is carried out. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said he received 'extremely general' information about 10 days ago that an enforcement activity was ahead. He said Omaha police on Tuesday offered only traffic enforcement assistance. 'We're hoping that it doesn't happen, obviously, because of the chaos it creates in this community,' said Ewing, a former Omaha police commander who most recently was Douglas County treasurer, explaining his perspective. Some South Omaha businesses still had their doors closed Wednesday. A community center canceled youth soccer practice. Ewing thanked organizations for efforts helping families and children affected. Meanwhile on Wednesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released its own statement decrying 'reckless rhetoric being thrown around' and describing a different scenario, including a 'threat' during the raid by a worker with a box cutter. It also released video from the raid. A statement from acting ICE director Todd Lyons said a Honduras native during the Tuesday raid 'brandished a weapon and assaulted federal agents and officers who were doing their job.' 'Let's be clear — this wasn't just someone 'out of status,'' Lyons said. 'This was a violent criminal who attacked law enforcement while they were serving the public…' Federal immigration raid hits Omaha plant An ICE spokeswoman said no agent was hurt in the operation that led to the detention of 76 people. ICE characterized the raid as successful and said some of those detained had active local warrants, prior DUI convictions or had been previously deported. 'Many now may face additional federal charges: fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents; assaulting a federal officer; resisting arrest; illegal reentry; and/or misuse of Social Security numbers,' the statement said. Worksite enforcement is a priority, ICE said, as the government seeks to 'protect the nation's workforce, eradicate labor trafficking and hold employers accountable for practices that encourage illegal immigration.' Involved in the Omaha crackdown, according to ICE, were the Nebraska State Patrol, Nebraska Department of Vehicles (driver and vehicle records fraud investigation unit) as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Mexican Consul Jorge Ernesto Espejel Montes told the Nebraska Examiner that about 40 of those detained are Mexico natives — mostly men — and that his staff has started talking to each. He said he believed some were being held in the ICE facility near the Omaha airport and that he thought some might eventually be taken to a Pottawattamie County facility. As of mid-day Wednesday, two had decided to voluntarily deport and were to be returned to Mexico, Espejel said, adding that as far as he knows, the Mexican workers were being treated okay. Some of those held, he said, had permission to be in the U.S. and will fight deportation with legal assistance from the Consul and community groups. Espejel said a next step is to contact Glenn Valley Foods, as the workers were owed pay. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen also released a statement Wednesday, saying he supported 'the work of our federal partners' and backed Trump's efforts. He pointed blame at the Biden administration. 'The country's immigration policy absolutely failed the American people for four years,' Pillen said. 'We have to address the issue of illegal immigration, and I support the work of our federal partners to ensure that the law is followed.' Asked about the conflicting responses, Ewing said he had not read Pillen's statement nor had he talked to him about the immigration raid. He said he would try to work with Pillen as he has with other elected leaders. 'But we are going to look at what we believe is best for the people of Omaha,' Ewing said. We're hoping that it doesn't happen, obviously, because of the chaos it creates in this community. – Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr., on worksite raids He and the police chief reiterated that Omaha police would not as a normal course of business ask someone for proof of immigration status. They said that is not the role of local police, and that they want to encourage trust and a climate in which people will report crimes and participate with law enforcement. Garcia said he, as head of the Douglas County Board, was not provided notice that immigration enforcement activity was coming. Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson has said that he knew several days prior. Garcia said that information was not conveyed to him. Ewing said he did not know or want to speculate on why federal officials targeted Omaha. The raid came as the city prepares for the launch this week of one of its biggest national tourist attractions: the College World Series baseball tournament. 'I don't know why,' he said. 'I can speculate, which I don't do.' Garcia said he was unsure as well. But in an interview Wednesday morning with MSNBC, he noted it happened just as the city's Democratic and first elected Black mayor took the helm of the city. The interviewer noted that Omaha was a blue enclave in a red state. Garcia also noted he was the first Latino Douglas County commissioner. Among those attending Ewing's news conference were members of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, described as the nation's largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights organization. LULAC national spokesman David Cruz said the group was headed to Washington, D.C. after its Omaha visit and asked what message Ewing would want delivered. Ewing said he'd like a comprehensive immigration policy that 'actually works.' He said he does not want 'soft-on-crime' measures, but prefers a 'humanitarian' approach. He said current policies have led to fear. 'Do something that helps hardworking people in these communities be able to have an opportunity to become citizens of this country,' he said. 'They are contributing to our cities. They are contributing to our state and to our nation.' Others spoke during the press conference as well, including Danny Begley of the Omaha City Council, City Human Rights and Relations Director Cailin Daly Dejillas and Community Relations and Outreach Coordinator Jennifer Rodriguez. Most of the event was presented in Spanish as well as English. Garcia, in sharing that his family member was arrested, said he wanted to provide an 'honest narrative' of community impact. At last check, the aunt, in her mid 40s, was detained at the ICE facility near Eppley Airfield. Her husband and children, the youngest still a minor, are worried and seeking legal advice. Yanira Garcia described her mom's younger sister as a 'happy spirit' who makes a cake or Jell-O for family get-togethers. She crocheted an outfit for the Garcias' two daughters when each was born. It's not that she hasn't tried to adjust her immigration status, said Yanira. Petitioning for a Mexican relative to become a legal resident is a lengthy process, and Yanira said her aunt's U.S. citizen sisters and mother began that petition process 20 years ago. 'The immigration process and laws are very complicated, especially for Mexican citizens,' she said. Roger Garcia said he wants to work with law enforcement to tackle 'high-level crimes' and to keep the community safe 'while also having a heart' for working undocumented immigrants. Rumors continued to circulate on Wednesday, with social media users sharing posts about what they believed were new immigration enforcement activity and related information. In several cases, a reporter checked out the information and found it to be untrue. Many have expressed concerns about undocumented immigrant workers who allegedly used stolen identities to get jobs. To that, Lina Traslaviña Stover of the Heartland Workers Center said, 'Let due process take care of those individuals.' Her nonprofit continued Wednesday to distribute 'Know Your Rights' packets, expanding the effort more to cities including Schuyler, Fremont and Nebraska City. Stover said many immigrants statewide are staying close to home, 'which affects the entire economy.' Said Garcia: 'The reverberations that have come across the community instill fear and anxiety, as we don't know if these kinds of activities will continue.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
a day ago
- Business
An Omaha food plant owner says he followed the rules for hiring immigrants
OMAHA, Neb. -- The owner of an Omaha food packaging company says his business has been unfairly hamstrung by federal immigration officials, who raided the plant and arrested more than half its workforce. The raid took place despite the company meticulously following the government's own system for verifying the workers were in the country legally, owner Gary Rohwer said Wednesday. Glenn Valley Foods now is operating at about 30% of capacity as the business scrambles to hire more workers, Rohwer said as he stood outside the plant. Asked how upsetting the raid was, Rohwer replied, 'I was very upset, ma'am, because we were told to e-verify, and we e-verified all these years, so I was shocked.' 'We did everything we could possibly do," he said. E-Verify is an online U.S. Department of Homeland Security system launched in the late 1990s that allows employers to quickly check if potential employees can work legally in the U.S., often by using Social Security numbers. Some of America's largest employers use it, including Starbucks and Walmart, but the vast majority of employers do not. Critics say the system is fairly easy to cheat, particularly with false documents. Rohwer noted that federal officials have said his company was a victim of those using stolen identities or fake IDs to get around the E-Verify system, which lead agents conducting the raid described as 'broken' and 'flawed' to Glenn Valley executives. But that does nothing to repair the company's bottom line, Rohwer said. 'I'd like to see the United States government ... come up with a program that they can communicate to the companies as to how to hire legitimate help. Period,' he said. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that more than 70 people were arrested during the Glenn Valley Foods raid on Tuesday. It also said one of the workers, described as a Honduras national, assaulted federal agents as he was being detained. The Omaha raid comes amid an immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump. The administration has been intensifying its efforts in recent weeks, and Trump deployed more than 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines this week to respond to ongoing protests in Los Angeles over his immigration policies. The raid, in the southeastern section of Omaha where nearly a quarter of residents are foreign born according to the 2020 census, led to hundreds of people turning out to protest Tuesday evening. But it also had a chilling effect on the south Omaha community. The Metropolitan Community College's South Omaha campus and an Omaha library branch in the area closed Tuesday afternoon, and several businesses along south Omaha's normally bustling 24th Street closed as news of the raid spread. Several of them remained closed Wednesday, said Douglas County Board of Commissioners Chairman Roger Garcia, whose district covers south Omaha. 'Everybody's still on alert, waiting to see what happens today and in the coming days,' Garcia said. 'So there's still a lot of anxiety and fear out there.' That fear will show up in the form of a weakened economy in Omaha, he added. 'You know, when products are not being sold, taxes are not being collected, and people are not able to get their goods as well. So it affects all of us,' he said. An aunt of Garcia's wife was among those taken away by ICE during the Omaha raid, he said. They have been unable to determine where she is being held. The raid came on the same day of the inauguration of newly elected Omaha Mayor John Ewing, a Democrat who unseated three-term Republican Jean Stothert last month. During a news conference Wednesday to address the raid, Ewing declined to speculate on whether the timing of it was intended to distract from his swearing-in. But he denounced the action by federal authorities, saying, 'My message to the public is that we are with them.' Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer also declared that his department will play no part in checking immigration or the legal status of residents in the community. 'That is not our mission. Our mission is public safety,' the chief said. 'I need victims to come forward. They will not come forward if they're fearful of Omaha Police Department being immigration officers.'
Mint
a day ago
- Politics
- Mint
Immigration Raids Spread to Agriculture as Meat Plant Targeted
(Bloomberg) -- Immigration raids rocking cities from Los Angeles to Chicago are spreading to the agriculture industry, with a meat plant in the Midwest and fruit workers in California being targeted. More than 70 people were detained after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at a meat plant in Omaha, Nebraska, earlier this week. Federal agents were also spotted at a field where farm laborers were picking blueberries in Tulare County, California, the LA Times reported. The administration of President Donald Trump is ramping up immigration raids across the country, and farm workers are no longer being spared. Almost half of the more than 850,000 crop workers in the US are undocumented, the Department of Agriculture estimates. The raid in Omaha found some undocumented immigrants at the Glenn Valley Foods facility, which makes products such as beef, chicken and pork for retail and other food-service providers. That was the biggest workforce enforcement operation in the state so far under Trump's second term. In California, the nation's largest agricultural state, federal agents showed up in farm fields and packinghouses from the Central Coast to the San Joaquin Valley, according to the LA Times. Elizabeth Strater, vice president of the United Farm Workers, told the newspapers that there has been an 'uptick in the chaotic presence of immigration enforcement, particularly the Border Patrol.' 'We are deeply alarmed by the latest actions from the Trump Administration targeting workers at agricultural fields, packinghouses, and other facilities from the Central Coast to the Central Valley,' said California Democratic Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff. 'Without the people who work through harsh conditions — extreme heat, cold weather, or pouring rain — feeding the nation would be impossible.' The raid in Omaha has already impacted production, with the facility now running with less than a third of its normal staff, according to Chad Hartmann, president of Glenn Valley Foods. 'We've done our best' to ramp up production, Hartmann said by phone. --With assistance from Gerson Freitas Jr., Erin Ailworth and Eliyahu Kamisher. More stories like this are available on
