On June 10, Omaha experienced the largest worksite immigration raid recorded in our city’s history as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stormed Glenn Valley Foods, a meat processing plant. Nearly 100 workers were detained, with 74 remaining in ICE custody the morning after the raid.

Glenn Valley Foods complied with E-Verify, a federal database that employers can use to ensure their workers are authorized to be employed in the U.S.

Authorities quickly dismissed the employer of any blame, with Nebraska U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., issuing a statement saying, “ICE verified that Glen Valley Foods complied with E-Verify 100% and is a victim in this as well.”

ICE agents confirmed that the owner, Gary Rohwer, was not a willing participant in the incident. Mr. Rohwer also commented on the situation, saying, “I don’t understand why in the hell they were using false ID when they can get a visa. I was dumbfounded. These are good good people. They really truly are.”

Blaming Workers

The message that these statements send is that it was the workers’ actions that led to their inevitable detention and potential deportation. But this narrative conceals a much larger issue.

Worksite raids are no solution to our immigration challenges. They are a symptom of a broken system — one that does not meet the needs of employers who need workers to staff their production lines or of individuals who want to make a better life in this country.

Labor shortages are a common problem in Nebraska. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Worker Shortage Index estimates that there are only 66 workers in Nebraska for every 100 available jobs. Yet, the federal government has been slow to offer suitable options to obtain work-related visas in industries that face substantial hiring challenges.

The H-2B visa program is, to date, the primary program that considers temporary visas for workers in non-agricultural industries with one-time, seasonal, peak or intermittent labor shortages. Meatpacking and food processing companies, however, are often in need of a permanent workforce and rarely benefit from this visa program.

Although recent reports have found an increase in the use of the H-2B visa at several meatpacking plants in the Midwest, only 1% of the H-2B visas granted nationally are used in the meat and dairy industries, according to the American Immigration Council. In Nebraska, H-2B visas registered a 167% increase from 2018 to 2023, primarily within the construction industry.

Demand Outstrips Supply

Beyond specific industries, the demand for labor far exceeds the cap set every year for H-2B visas. As of March 5, 2025, the cap had already been reached for petitions this fiscal year.

For immigrant workers already in the U.S., it is not as simple as getting a work permit or adjusting their status, and employer-sponsored options to address this issue are limited. In Nebraska, for example, immigrant workers represent a significant portion of the labor force in the food processing sector, where the need for labor is often not temporary and current visa caps are insufficient.

As a result, some undocumented immigrants might feel compelled to use borrowed or fraudulent Social Security Numbers — an act that is illegal but is often seen as the only practical means of supporting their families. Even when SSNs are fraudulent, these workers are still reporting their wages and paying taxes with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, funding many government programs from which they do not directly benefit.

In 2022, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimated that undocumented immigrants in Nebraska paid $113 million in state and local taxes, and if granted legal status, their contributions would increase by $23 million.

Meanwhile E-Verify, touted by many as a deterrent of unauthorized migration to protect jobs for those with legal status, has many issues as well. For one, concerns exist about the cost of maintaining the system, according to the Cato Institute.

The Florida Policy Institute estimates that the implementation of two bills in Florida that require use of the E-Verify system for all companies with 25 or more employees will cost the state $12.6 billion annually. Employers in key industries are estimated to lose as much as 10% of their workers.

At the same time, E-Verify has been shown to inaccurately screen workers’ identities. A review of data from 2006 to 2016 found that 580,000 jobs were delayed or kept from eligible workers due to errors in the E-verify system. In states where E-Verify mandates have been implemented, such as Arizona, this policy has led to increased unemployment among legally authorized low-wage workers.

Impact Of Raids

Worksite raids only aggravate the problem, causing not only economic harms, but also impacting the human and social fabric of communities. In the aftermath of worksite raids, business operations are often disrupted by waves of panic.

Glenn Valley Foods reported operating at 30% capacity, and many businesses along South 24th Street, a central business district in one of Omaha’s Latino neighborhoods, temporarily closed down.

Past studies on the effects of raids on the animal slaughtering and processing industry found that the shift towards tightening hiring controls was only temporary, faded over time and led to a substantial increase in worker turnover.

While the evidence for all industries shows that employment may not be affected by worksite enforcement, average wages decline.

Moreover, because many undocumented immigrants live in mixed-status families, raids have long-lasting negative effects on families and are especially harmful to children’s wellbeing. In Nebraska, periods of high immigration enforcement have been associated with increases in single-headed Latino households and Latino children living in poverty.

Instead of worksite raids, we need bipartisan reform at the federal level that helps ensure an adequate and available workforce, while modernizing visa caps, expanding temporary visa programs and opening realistic avenues for long-time residents to regularize their status.

Such changes would give businesses a system that actually works. Our congressional representatives should work to implement long-term reforms that meet the needs of Nebraska employers and communities.

Lissette Aliaga Linares is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Nebraska Omaha. She also co-leads the Nebraska Chapter of the Scholar Strategy Network. Athena K. Ramos is an associate professor of public health at University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health. This column reflects the opinions of the authors and does not represent the views of UNO or UNMC.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/07/17/omaha-immigration-raids-are-symptom-of-broken-system/

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