Fear of immigration raids already hurting Schuyler businesses, locals say

SCHUYLER, Neb. (KLKN) – In Schuyler, a town of only 6,000 people, the Cargill meat processing plant powers the economy.

About 60% of the workers there are immigrants, according to a senior organizer at the Heartland Workers Center.

“The Schuyler economy depends on the immigrants,” Luis Lucar said. “There’s no doubt about it.”

But many of them live in fear, and rumors of immigration raids are pushing them into the shadows.

“I had a conversation with a lady, and she told me that she wasn’t doing to work,” Lucar said. “She didn’t want to drive around. She didn’t even want to leave her house her home because she has fear.”

Cargill declined to comment.

SEE ALSO: Schuyler school district holds immigration clinic amid deportation fears

But the impact is not limited to the meat plant.

The owner of restaurant El Patron said she saw a drop in business as the rumors swirled.

“My regulars were not here,” Angela Hernandez said. “No Hispanics were actually in the building probably the whole weekend.”

El Pueblo Tires also said it’s been getting fewer customers.

“You can tell by the parking lot; it’s almost empty,” owner Victor Lopez said. “Normally on the east side of the shop, we have a full line of cars waiting to be repaired. Today, we only have two, so it’s been hitting hard.”

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As fears of raids ripple through the community, residents are holding their breath.

And while some are organizing to protect immigrant rights, others wonder what the future holds for Schuyler if these fears are here to stay.

“Another parent was telling me that he had to call a friend to pick up the children from school because he was afraid that he might be encountered by ICE and be taken,” Lucar said.

He said his organization is fighting to keep the community informed.

“One of the things we are doing with my organization, with the Heartland Workforce Center, is to provide our communities with the tools, with the information so they can be prepared in case of any situations that may happen with them,” Lucar said.

He encourages people to be prepared but not to live in fear.