Omaha, NE — A Glenn Valley Foods worker detained in a June 10 worksite immigration raid that ensnared nearly 80 people was released this week on a bond set by an immigration judge.
The worker’s attorneys believe their client was the first of the detained Glenn Valley employees to be released on a bond pending further legal proceedings. Other bond hearings are expected over the next days and weeks, they and other attorneys working with the group said.
The next step for the released foreign-born worker is to build a case for eligibility to remain in the country, said Bassel El-Kasaby, who said attorney Lauren Schmoke in the Kasaby Schmoke law firm represented the person in immigration court proceedings. El-Kasaby said final resolution of such cases can take years, given the court’s backlog.
El-Kasaby said the firm’s client was not charged with a criminal act. He said the client is accused of a civil offense, entering and working in the U.S. without authorization, which can lead to penalties such as deportation. The law firm declined to provide more detail without the client’s consent.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says the June 10 operation stemmed from a federal criminal search warrant looking for more than 100 individuals who ICE alleges stole U.S. identities.
According to available federal court records, it appears that so far three of the detained workers have been criminally charged — one for allegedly using a Social Security number of a U.S. citizen. The other two: a Honduran man accused of brandishing a box cutter and resisting arrest; a Mexican man facing charges for re-entering the country after being previously departed.
An ICE spokeswoman said the investigation continues.
Another four people face criminal charges related to protests during the raid.
Anne Wurth, senior attorney at Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, said her nonprofit is handling several of the worker cases. She said the bulk will have hearings over the next couple of weeks in immigration court to set a potential bond and future court dates for civil offenses.
“The majority of these people are not facing criminal charges at this time,” she said.
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