Federal agents raided Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha, triggering protests and panic as dozens of workers were detained in a major immigration enforcement action.
At a Glance
- ICE raided Glenn Valley Foods in South Omaha on June 10, detaining around 70–80 workers suspected of unauthorized employment
- Authorities described the action as Nebraska’s largest worksite enforcement since Trump’s second term
- Glenn Valley Foods had used E‑Verify, but ICE told the company the system is “broken”
- Protesters blocked ICE vehicles, threw rocks, and some jumped on agency SUVs outside the plant
- Community leaders expressed fear over future raids and stressed the need for immigration reform
Raids, Reaction, and Rights
On June 10, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement descended on Glenn Valley Foods, a meat processing facility in South Omaha, as part of a criminal investigation into the employment of unauthorized workers. Roughly 70 to 80 employees were detained, many of them zip-tied and loaded into unmarked buses in front of shocked coworkers and family members.
Plant president Chad Hartmann said the company had followed federal law, using E-Verify to confirm work eligibility. But he was told by agents that “the system is broken”—a jarring contradiction for businesses trying to stay compliant. Congressman Don Bacon later suggested Glenn Valley itself may have been the victim of stolen identities.
Watch a report: Inside the Omaha ICE raid at meat plant.
Outside the facility, protests erupted almost immediately. Demonstrators blocked ICE vehicles, threw rocks, and at least one person climbed atop an agency SUV. Omaha police and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office had been notified in advance and provided traffic support, but community leaders say they were blindsided.
“It clearly instills a lot of fear,” said Commissioner Roger Garcia, urging calm while warning of further disruptions. The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska issued a statement highlighting due process rights and the potential long-term trauma of such actions on mixed-status families.
Strategic and Economic Fallout
The meatpacking industry depends heavily on immigrant labor, and Nebraska is no exception. An estimated 50 percent of workers in U.S. meat processing plants are immigrants, meaning that raids like this risk destabilizing critical supply chains.
Local officials, including Councilmember Ron Hug, condemned the raid as “deeply harmful” to South Omaha’s economic and social fabric. Businesses across the district temporarily closed, some in fear of further enforcement actions, others in solidarity with detained workers.
Nonprofits like Omaha Together One Community began compiling names of those taken into custody and coordinating legal and family support. Activist Sara Kearney emphasized that Nebraskans “want to support immigrant and refugee families,” calling for immigration reform that acknowledges workers’ vital contributions.
Risk and Opportunity
While some lawmakers defended the enforcement as a legal necessity, critics argue that such surprise raids fracture communities and erode public trust in institutions. The operation at Glenn Valley Foods is likely to increase scrutiny of E-Verify, which companies rely on to validate employment status but may be vulnerable to identity fraud.
As legal proceedings unfold, attention will center on whether those detained receive representation and due process. Meanwhile, the broader debate over immigration enforcement versus reform is again taking center stage—not just in Washington, but in working-class communities like South Omaha.
