Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a meat production plant in Omaha, Nebraska, on Tuesday in what the Homeland Security Department (DHS) described as the “largest worksite enforcement operation” in the state since President Donald Trump took office in January.
The raid happened at around 9 a.m. at a plant of Glenn Valley Foods.
In a statement on the social media platform X, DHS said “an illegal alien from Honduras [threatened] federal officers and agents with a box cutter,” while they were conducting the enforcement operation.
“These are the type of threats and assaults our brave law enforcement face every day as they put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens,” DHS stated.
ICE enforcement officers and agents are facing a 413 percent increase in assaults against them, the department said.
“Thankfully, no ICE law enforcement was hurt in this operation,” DHS added.
The department did not state how many individuals were arrested during the raid at the meat production plant.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), whose 2nd Congressional District includes Omaha, told local media that about 75 to 80 people had been detained.
Omaha police and the Douglas County sheriff said immigration officials had informed them in advance about the raid, and their departments helped block off traffic around the neighborhood, where many food production plants are located, while ICE officers carried out the enforcement operation.
The food packaging company said it was surprised by the raid and had received no notice ahead of time. It added that it had followed the rules regarding immigration status.
An LAPD officer pleads with the crowd to get off the street in front of the Metro Detention Center in Downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 9, 2025. Benjamin Hanson/Middle East Images via AFP
Chad Hartmann, president of Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha, said the plant that was raided used E-Verify, a federal database used to check the immigration status of employees. When he explained this to an ICE agent, the agent allegedly said the system “is broken” and urged him to contact his local congressional representative, he said.
Hartmann added that federal agents had a warrant stating they had identified 107 individuals believed to be using fraudulent documents.
Bacon said in a statement that his office had verified that ICE served a civil warrant to the Glenn Valley Foods facility in relation to allegedly stolen identities.
ICE verified that Glen Valley Foods complied with E-Verify and “is a victim in this as well,” he said.
“We understand people’s concerns for their loved one’s safety and have full confidence and expectations that ICE will operate within their legal authority and treat people with respect,” the lawmaker stated. “Our office does not receive reports on individual enforcement and removal operations, but we support the rule of law.”
The latest raid came as hundreds of Marines arrived in the Los Angeles area late on Tuesday under orders from President Trump as demonstrations over ICE immigration raids continued across the city for a fifth day.
Trump has already sent around 4,000 National Guard troops to the city without a request or cooperation from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, citing Title 10 of the U.S. Code, a federal law that outlines the role of the Armed Forces.
A provision of Title 10, Section 12406, allows the president to deploy National Guard units into federal service if the United States is invaded, there is a “rebellion or danger of rebellion” or the president is “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”
Newsom has described the latest deployment as Trump “doubling down on the militarization of the Los Angeles area.” The governor was joined by California Attorney General Rob Bonta in filing an emergency motion in court on Tuesday seeking to block the administration from deploying federal troops.
The Epoch Times has contacted Glenn Valley Foods and the Department of Homeland Security for further comment.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Katabella Roberts
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Katabella Roberts is a news writer for The Epoch Times, focusing primarily on the United States, world, and business news.
