Multiple immigration raids reported at plants in Omaha on Tuesday morning
Multiple raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been reported in the Omaha area on Tuesday morning, vlog sister station KETV reports.
The Omaha Police Department and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said they are aware of immigration operations in the city Tuesday.
In a statement, officials said the Department of Homeland Security notified OPD and DCSO of the operations and law enforcement officers are assisting with traffic control and public safety in the areas of the operation.
Omaha police respond to immigration operations
Douglas County Commissioner Roger Garcia, who left a meeting abruptly Tuesday morning, confirmed raids were being conducted at plants in the Omaha area, including the Glenn Valley Foods plant.
"I have to depart. My community is being terrorized by immigration raids at this moment. As we speak, there's word of at least two raids happening at this moment, so I have to go. I have to try and help," Garcia said.
KETV's Madison Perales is at the scene of the Glenn Valley Foods plant near 67th and J streets.
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But after KETV spoke with bystanders who have family inside, they believe it's a raid.
In a statement, Glenn Valley Foods told KETV that authorities came to their facility and "served a warrant to search for persons believed to be using fraudulent documents to gain employment."
Omaha plant responds to immigration raid at facility
One worker told KETV that authorities allowed him in the building, but put a green wristband on him to identify that he's a U.S. citizen. He said he wasn't allowed in the building, only the parking lot. He told KETV that authorities made him fill out a sheet with his information.
"They were lining everyone up like a raid," a worker told KETV.
Another person whose family member is undocumented is being kept in the cafeteria. He says they're putting zip ties on people.
Glenn Valley Foods said they use E-Verify as part of their hiring process and are being cooperative with authorities.
KETV crews also observed an ambulance arriving on the scene.
Garcia was at the scene of the JBS plant, near 33rd and L streets, when KETV arrived on scene. He said he is sending members of the community out to different areas where he's heard of raids happening Tuesday.
Douglas County commissioner responds to scenes of immigration raids in Omaha
"First we want to know who's been detained and how many and then we want to help with legal ... bound to be children without parents, spouses without husbands and wives," Garcia said. "There's gonna be a lot of hurt in this community today and we're gonna help them as best we can."
In a statement, JBS told KETV that there has been no Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at the facility "at this point in time."
"It is being incorrectly reported that way but the actions that have happened so far today have not taken place at our plant," JBS said in a statement.
Sarah Keeney, the lead organizer for Omaha Together One Community, told KETV that there was an unrelated evacuation at JBS, which caused the confusion.
Stay with KETV for more on this developing story