Fact Check: "Seventy-six employees at Glenn Valley Foods were arrested by federal immigration authorities on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, as part of an operation investigating the employment of individuals without legal work authorization."
What We Know
On September 19, 2023, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a raid at Glenn Valley Foods, a meat production plant in Omaha, Nebraska. During this operation, federal authorities detained approximately 76 employees who were suspected of lacking legal work authorization. The raid was described as one of the largest worksite enforcement operations in Nebraska in recent years, aimed at investigating the employment of individuals without legal status (AP News, ICE).
The plant's president, Chad Hartmann, expressed confusion over the raid, stating that the company had complied with legal hiring practices, including the use of the E-Verify system to check employee eligibility (AP News, NBC News). Despite this, ICE officials indicated that the E-Verify system had limitations, which contributed to the operation (AP News).
Analysis
The claim that 76 employees were arrested during the raid is supported by multiple credible sources. ICE confirmed that "more than 70 illegal aliens were detained" during the operation (ICE). Reports from various news outlets, including the Associated Press and NBC News, corroborate this figure, stating that approximately 74 to 76 workers were taken into custody (AP News, NBC News).
The reliability of these sources is high, as they include direct statements from ICE and detailed accounts from individuals present during the raid, such as the plant's president and employees (AP News, NBC News). Furthermore, the operation's scale and the community's reaction, including protests outside the plant, highlight the significant impact of the raid (AP News, Reuters).
While the company claims compliance with legal hiring practices, the ongoing investigation into the employment practices at Glenn Valley Foods suggests that there may be underlying issues regarding worker eligibility that are still being examined (NBC News, ABC News). This complexity does not negate the fact that the arrests occurred as described.
Conclusion
The claim that "seventy-six employees at Glenn Valley Foods were arrested by federal immigration authorities on Tuesday, September 19, 2023" is True. The evidence from multiple reliable sources confirms the number of arrests and the context of the operation, which was aimed at investigating the employment of individuals without legal work authorization.
Sources
- ICE, federal partners assaulted during largest worksite ...
- Immigration officials raid Omaha meat plant | AP News
- US immigration raid of Omaha meat plant cuts staff, fuels ...
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