2 weeks ago
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OMAHA, Neb. (NewsNation) — Federal agents arrested much than 100 radical Tuesday during what officials called Nebraska's largest workplace enforcement operation nether President Donald Trump, executing a civilian hunt warrant astatine Glenn Valley Foods successful Omaha arsenic workers scattered and hid passim the facility.
NewsNation takes you successful an exclusive multiagency cognition involving astir 70 officers and agents from ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigations, the DEA and U.S. Marshals, targeting workers suspected of utilizing fraudulent recognition documents.
Many workers attempted to debar apprehension by hiding successful gathering rafters and walk-in freezers with subzero temperatures, prompting EMTs to respond and cheque individuals for wellness and information concerns, according to national agents connected scene.
One antheral barricaded himself successful a partition compartment and pulled container cutters connected agents erstwhile they attempted to region him, starring to charges of battle connected a national officer.
"So we did execute a civilian hunt warrant present astatine this location, for unit from Glenn Valley Foods that were utilizing fake IDs, fraudulent IDs, oregon immoderate benignant of operation of IDs that weren't real," an ICE cause told NewsNation.
The cognition comes amid nationwide protests implicit migration enforcement, peculiarly successful Los Angeles, wherever akin workplace raids past week triggered demonstrations that prompted Trump to deploy National Guard troops.
Glenn Valley Foods proprietor Gary Rohwer said helium utilized the national E-Verify system to cheque workers' eligibility but was deceived by employees utilizing stolen identities of U.S. citizens, which allowed them to walk inheritance checks.
"I don't recognize wherefore successful the hellhole they were utilizing mendacious ID erstwhile they tin get a visa," Rohwer said. "I was dumbfounded, these are bully good radical they truly genuinely are and they’re portion of our family,"
Rohwer, who present has to rebuild his full workforce, is disquieted astir the interaction connected his concern and customers who beryllium connected the company's products. Federal agents described him arsenic a unfortunate of the strategy alternatively than a consenting participant.
"He is simply a unfortunate astatine the extremity of the day," an cause told NewsNation. "And unneurotic with our state, national and section partners, we've been capable to marque a difference, enactment with that company, thatch them however to bash this process better, safer."
The concern proprietor has cooperated afloat with national agencies and is not facing charges, according to officials.
The cognition is portion of the Trump administration's renewed absorption connected workplace enforcement arsenic portion of broader migration crackdowns. Such operations person go flashpoints for protests, with critics arguing they abstracted families and harm communities portion supporters accidental they're indispensable to enforce migration instrumentality and support American workers.
