WORKSITE RAID IN NEBRASKA RESULTS IN CRIMINAL CHARGES

This week saw one of the largest worksite raids conducted by the INS in some time.  On Tuesday, INS agents raided Nebraska Beef in Omaha, Nebraska, detaining 212 people who were suspected of being in the US without authorization.  In addition to the large number of detainees, the raid has also resulted in criminal charges being filed against six people - three of Nebraska Beef’s managers and three recruiters. 

They have been charged with smuggling and transporting undocumented immigrants, providing them with housing and directing them to where they could obtain fraudulent work authorization documents.  Attorneys for Nebraska Beef deny that there was any smuggling scheme.  They also said that the raid is disrupting work at the plant and that even now it cannot operate at 100% capacity because it is missing more than 200 workers.

The raid has affected other things in Omaha as well.  The director of the English as a Second Language program for Omaha’s schools says that many children have been absent since the raid.  Undocumented parents often fear sending their children to school after a raid like this out of fear that the school will be raided.  Also, requests for assistance from social service programs have gone up since the breadwinners of many families are now in detention.

Federal officials say that this case is unique, because while business owners and managers have been subject to civil fines for using undocumented workers, there has never before been a criminal prosecution.  If convicted, the managers and recruiters face up to ten years in prison and fines of up to 0,000.