Latest news with #Hartmann
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE officers assaulted during raid that nabbed 70 illegal immigrants at meat plant: DHS
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and their federal partners were assaulted by an illegal immigrant while executing a warrant Wednesday at a meat-producing plant in Omaha, Nebraska. During the raid, ICE detained more than 70 illegal immigrants, some of whom had local warrants for their arrests, prior DUI convictions or had previously been deported, the agency said. "Yesterday, an illegal alien from Honduras brandished a weapon and assaulted federal agents and officers who were doing their job: protecting American citizens, the public and businesses who are being victimized through identity fraud," ICE acting Director Todd Lyons said Wednesday. California Sheriff Says Newsom 'Encouraged' La Riots As Ice Arrests Violent Illegal Aliens "Let's be clear — this wasn't just someone 'out of status.' This was a violent criminal who attacked law enforcement while they were serving the public, which is why the term 'criminal alien' is a distraction. "If you're here illegally, you've already broken the law. When you break the law by coming here illegally and then threaten and assault federal officers on top of that — you're a threat, plain and simple." Read On The Fox News App Many of the 70 people detained Wednesday may now face additional federal charges, including fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents; assaulting a federal officer; resisting arrest; illegal reentry; and/or misuse of Social Security numbers, ICE said. "Our ICE agents and officers — along with our federal partners — put their lives on the line every day to protect the American public. They don't ask for praise. They ask for the support," ICE Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito said in a statement. "The reckless rhetoric being thrown around doesn't just insult their sacrifice, it actively puts communities at risk, undermines law enforcement, and emboldens those who are actively looking to do harm. These men and women swore an oath to uphold the law and should not have to fear the very people they are sworn to protect." Dozens Of Anti-ice Rioters Arrested In La As Trump Sends In National Guard To Quell Violence ICE did not specify how officers were assaulted, but protesters who gathered outside the food plant Tuesday during the raid jumped on the front bumper of an official vehicle, while others threw rocks at ICE vehicles as a white bus carrying workers pulled away from the operation. Chad Hartmann, president of Glenn Valley Foods, told The Associated Press he was surprised by the raid, saying the plant uses E-Verify to confirm the immigration status of workers before hiring them. Ice Arrests 'Worst Of The Worst' Illegal Aliens In Los Angeles While Protesters Advocate For Criminals: Dhs "My biggest issue is: Why us?" Hartmann told the AP. "We do everything by the book." Hartmann added that ICE officers at the raid apparently told him the E-Verify system is broken. "I mean, what am I supposed to do with that?" Hartmann told the AP. "This is your system, run by the government. And you're raiding me because your system is broken?" Douglas County Commissioner Roger Garcia said Wednesday in a Facebook post that officials are "telling friends and allies to standby momentarily as we continue to gather and verify information and coordinate proper guidance for families affected." "There are response groups that have been activated and also safe spaces for families to go, alongside legal representation that is being coordinated," Garcia said. "We are still trying to find out more information on how many were detained today, how many sites (Lala and Glenn Valley verified thus far, JBS may have been mistakenly listed we are looking into it), and where those detained are being taken." The operation was a multi-agency effort that included ICE Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations Omaha; DHS Security Office of Inspector General; Department of Justice; FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Marshals Service; IRS Criminal Investigation; Nebraska State Patrol; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and the Nebraska Department of Vehicles Fraud Unit. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: ICE officers assaulted during raid that nabbed 70 illegal immigrants at meat plant: DHS
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US immigration raid of Omaha meat plant cuts staff, fuels food production worries
By Tom Polansek CHICAGO (Reuters) -U.S. meat producer Glenn Valley Foods was operating an Omaha, Nebraska, facility with about 30% of its staff on Wednesday after federal agents detained workers in an immigration raid the previous day, slashing the output of products it sells to grocery stores and restaurants, the company's president said. In the wake of Tuesday's sweep by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, livestock traders and market analysts expressed concerns that the potential deportation of undocumented workers from such raids could disrupt U.S. food production at a time when beef prices have soared and meat processors report a labor shortage. ICE agents detained about 74 to 76 workers out of roughly 140 at the Glenn Valley Foods plant, President Chad Hartmann said. Other workers did not show up on Wednesday because they felt afraid or traumatized, he said, adding that the facility's production dropped to about 20% of normal. Glenn Valley Foods sells steak, chicken and corned beef products to restaurants and grocery stores, according to its website. Retail beef prices have set records as the size of the U.S. cattle herd has declined to its lowest level in 70 years after a years-long drought raised feed costs. Consumer demand for steaks and hamburgers has stayed strong nevertheless. Glenn Valley Foods is trying to determine how long it will take to hire new employees, Hartmann said. "The hole that got punched into our business is staffing," he said. Livestock traders worried that immigration raids could slow meat companies' demand to buy cattle from farmers to process into beef, if the companies do not have enough workers. Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures came under pressure on Tuesday during the raid, after recently hitting records. "There's certainly going to be nervousness out there on where the labor situation goes, going forward," said Matt Wiegand, a commodity broker for risk management firm FuturesOne in Nebraska. Meatpackers still face an acute worker shortage, said Julie Anna Potts, president of the Meat Institute industry group. It worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when major companies such as Tyson Foods temporarily shut plants because of a lack of workers. Glenn Valley used E-Verify, a federal database used for checking employees' immigration status. Hartmann said Homeland Security told him on Wednesday that there was no better system. "We will have to continue to use it," he said. ICE said a criminal investigation was ongoing into what immigration officials called a large-scale employment of immigrants who are present in the U.S. illegally. Footage of the Glenn Valley raid released by ICE showed agents searching the plant, restraining workers' hands and ankles, and taking them into custody. ICE officers have been intensifying efforts in recent weeks to deliver on U.S. President Donald Trump's agenda of record-level deportations. Tensions boiled over in Los Angeles over the weekend when protesters took to the streets after ICE arrested migrants at Home Depot stores, a garment factory and a warehouse, according to rights advocates. On Tuesday night, demonstrators marched in New York, Atlanta and Chicago. More than half of all meatpacking workers in the U.S. are immigrants, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a think tank. The Omaha World-Herald newspaper said on Tuesday that raids were also reported at local plants run by large meatpackers Tyson and JBS USA. Tyson and JBS told Reuters their facilities were not raided.
The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
US immigration raid of Omaha meat plant cuts staff, fuels food production worries
A man is detained during a raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a Glenn Valley Foods meat production plant in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. June 10, 2025 in a still image from video. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Handout via REUTERS CHICAGO (Reuters) -U.S. meat producer Glenn Valley Foods was operating an Omaha, Nebraska, facility with about 30% of its staff on Wednesday after federal agents detained workers in an immigration raid the previous day, slashing the output of products it sells to grocery stores and restaurants, the company's president said. In the wake of Tuesday's sweep by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, livestock traders and market analysts expressed concerns that the potential deportation of undocumented workers from such raids could disrupt U.S. food production at a time when beef prices have soared and meat processors report a labor shortage. ICE agents detained about 74 to 76 workers out of roughly 140 at the Glenn Valley Foods plant, President Chad Hartmann said. Other workers did not show up on Wednesday because they felt afraid or traumatized, he said, adding that the facility's production dropped to about 20% of normal. Glenn Valley Foods sells steak, chicken and corned beef products to restaurants and grocery stores, according to its website. Retail beef prices have set records as the size of the U.S. cattle herd has declined to its lowest level in 70 years after a years-long drought raised feed costs. Consumer demand for steaks and hamburgers has stayed strong nevertheless. Glenn Valley Foods is trying to determine how long it will take to hire new employees, Hartmann said. "The hole that got punched into our business is staffing," he said. Livestock traders worried that immigration raids could slow meat companies' demand to buy cattle from farmers to process into beef, if the companies do not have enough workers. Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures came under pressure on Tuesday during the raid, after recently hitting records. "There's certainly going to be nervousness out there on where the labor situation goes, going forward," said Matt Wiegand, a commodity broker for risk management firm FuturesOne in Nebraska. Meatpackers still face an acute worker shortage, said Julie Anna Potts, president of the Meat Institute industry group. It worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when major companies such as Tyson Foods temporarily shut plants because of a lack of workers. Glenn Valley used E-Verify, a federal database used for checking employees' immigration status. Hartmann said Homeland Security told him on Wednesday that there was no better system. "We will have to continue to use it," he said. ICE said a criminal investigation was ongoing into what immigration officials called a large-scale employment of immigrants who are present in the U.S. illegally. Footage of the Glenn Valley raid released by ICE showed agents searching the plant, restraining workers' hands and ankles, and taking them into custody. ICE officers have been intensifying efforts in recent weeks to deliver on U.S. President Donald Trump's agenda of record-level deportations. Tensions boiled over in Los Angeles over the weekend when protesters took to the streets after ICE arrested migrants at Home Depot stores, a garment factory and a warehouse, according to rights advocates. On Tuesday night, demonstrators marched in New York, Atlanta and Chicago. More than half of all meatpacking workers in the U.S. are immigrants, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a think tank. The Omaha World-Herald newspaper said on Tuesday that raids were also reported at local plants run by large meatpackers Tyson and JBS USA. Tyson and JBS told Reuters their facilities were not raided. (Reporting by Tom Polansek; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
The Hill
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Video shows huge raid by ICE agents in Omaha
Dozens of individuals were removed from a meat packaging facility in Nebraska on Tuesday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided the factory. Workers at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha were pulled off the floor as federal officials said they needed to screen 97 people. Ultimately, 70 were removed and taken into custody. The video above shows footage of the removals. 'Many of them scattered when officials arrive with a warrant—Some were in the rafters, one man was hiding in the wall and pulled a box cutter on an agent. He will be charged with assault on a federal officer,' NewsNation's Ali Bradley wrote in a Tuesday post on X accompanied by the video. Company executives said they were stunned by the ICE raid, especially after vetting their candidates through the E-Verify system managed by the Department of Homeland Security. However, ICE officials later told the company owners the federally run E-Verify system was broken and that some people may have used false IDs to pass workforce screening requirements. 'I mean, what am I supposed to do with that?' Hartmann said. 'This is your system, run by the government. And you're raiding me because your system is broken?' Chad Hartmann, president of Glenn Valley Foods, told the Associated Press. Hartmann and Gary Rohwer, CEO and owner of the company, said officials didn't provide them with any notice before the raid. 'I was dumbfounded, these are good, good people they really truly are and they're part of our family,' Rohwer told NewsNation. He now remains worried about how he will quickly rehire a staff to suit the company demands. ICE officials have said they would help guide him on best hiring practices.
Politico
3 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Immigration raid at Omaha meat production plant leaves company officials bewildered
OMAHA, Nebraska — Immigration authorities raided an Omaha meat production plant Tuesday morning and took dozens of workers away in buses, leaving company officials bewildered because they said they had followed the law. The raid happened around 9 a.m. at Glenn Valley Foods in south Omaha, an area where nearly a quarter of residents were foreign born according to the 2020 census. A small group of people came out to protest the raid, and some of them even jumped on the front bumper of a vehicle to try to stop officers in one location while others threw rocks at officials' vehicles as a white bus carrying workers pulled away from a plant. Chad Hartmann, president of the food packaging company, said the front office was stunned by the aggressive nature of federal officials' raid and confused by why the company was targeted. 'My biggest issue is: Why us?' Hartmann said. 'We do everything by the book.' The plant uses E-Verify, the federal database used to check the immigration status of employees. When he said as much to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who carried out the raid, they told him the E-Verify system 'is broken.' 'I mean, what am I supposed to do with that?' Hartmann said. 'This is your system, run by the government. And you're raiding me because your system is broken?' Omaha police and the Douglas County sheriff said immigration officials had warned them about their plans, and their departments helped block off traffic around the neighborhood where many food production plants are located while ICE officers worked. Meatpacking plants rely heavily on immigrant workers who are willing to do the physically demanding work. The industry has not yet been the focus of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement efforts, but the administration has been intensifying its efforts in recent weeks. Trump called out the National Guard this week to respond to ongoing protests in Los Angeles over his immigration policies. CEO and owner Gary Rohwer told WOWT in Omaha he wasn't made aware of the operation ahead of time. He said federal agents entered the plant with a list of 97 people they wanted to screen. 'Of course not. It's a raid,' said Rohwer, whose company makes the Gary's QuickSteak brand of ready-to-grill steak. Estefania Favila, a supervisor at Glenn Valley Foods, said she was in a morning meeting when federal officials began banging on the plant's doors and yelling, 'Homeland Security!' 'They just came in and said that it was a raid and we had to get everybody out of production,' Favila said. Employees were separated by those who had documents showing they were U.S. citizens, those who had valid work documents and those who did not have documents, she said. About 70 people were taken away in buses with the windows blacked out, Favila said. Among them were two of her cousins who immigrated from Honduras, she said. ICE officials confirmed in an email the raid at Glenn Valley Foods, saying it was 'based on an ongoing criminal investigation into the large-scale employment of aliens without authorization to work in the United States.' They said it was likely the largest 'worksite enforcement operation' in Nebraska since the start of Trump's second term. Hartmann, the company president, said he planned to contact Republican Rep. Don Bacon, who represents the district, and other Nebraska leaders to try to get answers. By Tuesday afternoon, Bacon had issued a statement saying the ICE raid sought to investigate stolen identities and that 'ICE verified that Glen Valley Foods complied with E-Verify 100% and is a victim in this as well.' Douglas County Commissioner Roger Garcia, who rushed out of a regular meeting Tuesday morning after he learned about the raid, said the community is shaken. 'It clearly instills a lot of fear,' said Garcia, who represents the area. 'People are asking me if this is going to continue for multiple days here in Omaha. People are asking me if this is going to spread to other cities.'
