Over 100 American citizens were left devastated after their identities were stolen and exploited by illegal aliens working at a Nebraska food processing plant, showcasing the real human cost of America’s immigration crisis.
Key Takeaways
- ICE agents raided Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 10, uncovering more than 70 illegal aliens using stolen identities to gain employment and benefits.
- The identity theft scheme affected over 100 American victims across multiple states, causing severe financial and emotional hardships, including denied healthcare and lost educational opportunities.
- Despite claiming to use E-Verify, Glenn Valley Foods employed illegal aliens who circumvented the system using stolen Social Security Numbers.
- The raid represents the largest worksite enforcement action in Nebraska since the start of President Trump’s second administration and has opened job opportunities for legal residents.
- ICE officials report that similar identity theft schemes are widespread, with potentially 39 million cases occurring from 2012 to 2016.
Devastating Impact on American Victims
The massive identity theft operation uncovered at Glenn Valley Foods has left a trail of financial destruction for over 100 American citizens across multiple states. Victims in California, Colorado, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Texas have suffered serious consequences from having their identities exploited by illegal aliens. The impacts extend far beyond simple paperwork issues, reaching into crucial aspects of victims’ lives and livelihoods. ICE investigators have documented cases of disabled Americans denied Social Security benefits, citizens unable to obtain necessary prescription medications, and students losing educational opportunities—all because someone else was using their identity.
“The criminals who stole these identities didn’t just break the law; they upended lives. These victims aren’t faceless statistics; they’re real people who are being denied healthcare and have lost educational opportunities,” said Special Agent Zito.
One particularly troubling case involved a disabled American in Texas who was denied Social Security benefits because someone using their identity was reporting wages in Nebraska. In Pennsylvania, an American citizen was denied critical prescription medications because someone was already receiving them under their name. A nursing student in Missouri lost tuition assistance due to inflated income reports filed by an identity thief. Another victim in Colorado received an IRS notice demanding repayment of over $5,000 due to unreported income that was earned by an illegal alien using their information.
Massive ICE Operation Exposes Criminal Network
The June 10th raid at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha represents the largest worksite enforcement action in Nebraska since the beginning of President Trump’s second administration. Approximately 70 illegal aliens were discovered working at the facility, with ICE determining they had been using stolen Social Security numbers and identities to gain employment, health benefits, and wages. The operation was a coordinated multi-agency effort led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations team. Five individuals were charged following encounters with federal law enforcement during the execution of the search warrant, and more than 60 illegal aliens are currently detained in Lincoln County, Nebraska, jail pending immigration proceedings.
Despite Glenn Valley Foods claiming to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm employment eligibility, illegal aliens were able to bypass this safeguard by using stolen identification information. This security breach has raised serious questions about the vulnerability of employment verification systems and the ease with which illegal aliens can circumvent them when armed with stolen American identities. The raid has also created employment opportunities for legal residents, with positions at the facility now available to American citizens and legal immigrants who had previously been shut out by illegal hiring practices.
ICE Officials Push Back Against Defenders of Identity Thieves
ICE officials have strongly rejected attempts to portray the arrested individuals as innocent, hardworking people simply seeking better lives. The severity of their crimes and the devastating impact on American victims have been emphasized by investigators working on the case. Mark Zito, who led the ICE operation, has been particularly vocal about the real-world consequences of these identity theft schemes on ordinary Americans.
“There have been individuals who have gone on the record recently referring to the identity thieves we arrested last week as ‘good, hardworking, and honest,'” said Mark Zito. “These so-called honest workers have caused an immeasurable amount of financial and emotional hardship for innocent Americans. If pretending to be someone you aren’t to steal their lives isn’t blatant, criminal dishonesty, I don’t know what is.”
The Nebraska operation is not an isolated incident. A similar identity theft scheme was uncovered during a 2019 ICE raid in Mississippi, and the Immigration Reform Law Institute has reported that there were potentially 39 million cases of identity theft committed by illegal aliens between 2012 and 2016. This latest raid highlights the ongoing nature of this criminal activity and its widespread impact on American citizens who often struggle for years to repair their credit, recover benefits, and restore their financial security after their identities have been compromised.
