U.S. Attorney’s Office says raid of Omaha plant came after audit of employee records

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The United States Attorney’s Office released more information on the immigration raid that took place in Omaha on Tuesday.

In a press release on Thursday, the attorney’s office said the raid was part of a Take Back America Task Force worksite enforcement operation.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security and other federal agencies were at Glenn Valley Foods in search of workers who were not authorized to work in the U.S., authorities said.

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Before the raid, law enforcement performed an audit of Glenn Valley Foods’ employee I-9 forms.

Authorities said the audit revealed a large number of suspected fraudulent identification documents and documents that did not authorize employees to work in the U.S.

It also showed that workers were fraudulently using the identities of multiple United States citizens, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Homeland Security received numerous victim complaints about those stolen identities, authorities said.

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During the operation, Homeland Security found 76 immigrants accused of being in the country illegally.

According to the attorney’s office, these workers were using Social Security numbers that had not been issued to them.

Homeland Security sent several criminal allegations to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution.

Some of the allegations are fraudulent use of Social Security numbers, assaults on federal officers and damage to federal property, and illegal reentry of previously deported immigrants.

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According to the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, more than 60 of those arrested in the raid have been transferred to a detention center in Nebraska.

The rest have been deported or sent to other locations for processing, according to CIRA.

“Our legal team will now deploy to the detention center to provide legal counsel to detained individuals,” CIRA said in a statement. “We will do everything within our power to reconnect families. Although these circumstances are difficult, we’re relieved that they are still in our jurisdiction where we will be able to provide them direct legal support.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has not decided on charges, saying this is an active and ongoing investigation.

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