Masked Federal agents stormed an Omaha meatpacking plant Tuesday, hauling away dozens of workers in a sweeping immigration raid.
The surprise ICE operation targeted Glenn Valley Foods, where agents screened 97 workers and detained 70. Some tried to run. One man reportedly pulled a box cutter on an agent after hiding inside a wall.
“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,” reporter Ali Bradley posted on X, alongside video of the raid.
Executives at the company said they were blindsided. They had used the government’s own system, E-Verify, to check new hires. But ICE later told them the system didn’t work as intended — and that some workers got through using fake documents.
“I mean, what am I supposed to do with that? This is your system, run by the government. And you’re raiding me because your system is broken?” said Chad Hartmann, president of Glenn Valley Foods, speaking to the Associated Press.
Company owner Gary Rohwer echoed the frustration. He said no one warned them a raid was coming.
“I was dumbfounded, these are good, good people, they really truly are, and they’re part of our family,” Rohwer told reporters.
Now, he’s left with a nearly empty floor and no clear path to fill the gaps. ICE said they would advise him on how to hire legally going forward.
Watch the reports below from Associated Press and 1011 News:
