Omaha, Neb. — One year ago, families in Omaha were upended. Children were not picked up from daycare; loved ones waited by the phone that never rang, and an entire community hid in fear.

That’s because one year ago, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a large-scale workplace raid at the Glenn Valley Foods plant. Agents arrested dozens of workers, shocking their families, community leaders, and human service organizations throughout the state.

The Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (CIRA) was one organization on the frontlines.

While CIRA’s Community Engagement Team had been preparing for the possibility of ICE raids since long before June 10, the Glenn Valley raid introduced unforeseen challenges and lessons that eventually helped strengthen the collaborative response and readiness.

Community safety planning had already geared up in the weeks between election day in 2024 and inauguration day in 2025. Convened by CIRA’s community engagement team, a network of leaders in towns across Nebraska began organizing local volunteers and resources to support immigrant communities and prepare for the possibility of large-scale immigration enforcement actions. The local teams focused on providing proactive Know Your Rights and Safety Planning training and education to their communities while also preparing their networks to be able to deliver humanitarian and legal assistance in the aftermath of a raid.

One year later, the aftermath of the raid highlighted the benefits of preparing a coordinated statewide response ahead of crises and illuminated areas where more support and resources are severely needed.

CIRA’s Director of Community Engagement Khenda Mustafa reflected on a major lesson learned from the raid. “While we were highly prepared for the immediate aftermath of the raid, it was clear its impact on families extended far beyond the initial days. Addressing those challenges would require not only a raid response plan, but also a long-term recovery plan – and the resources to match.”

Thirteen local teams making up the statewide community safety planning coalition began discussing what long-term recovery entailed and what it would need to look like in each local community. A variety of services were needed to help impacted families recover and secure long-term stability, including financial assistance, food, shelter, and mental health services.   An informal resource mapping effort revealed major gaps in necessary support in some parts of the state.

“There’s no magic solution to closing resource gaps but strengthening collaboration and coordination is a key strategy that CIRA continues to prioritize,” Mustafa said.

Getting people back from North Platte

Another thing the raid response team hadn’t accounted for was people being detained, and then released, far away from their homes. Before the Glenn Valley employees were transferred more than four hours away to Lincoln County Jail in North Platte, they spent more than 60 hours detained before being processed. Those hours were spent without access to legal counsel, without access to showers, and without other daily necessities like medication.

For the detainees, it was a traumatic experience.

This is where one of the team liaisons based in North Platte, HOPE Esperanza, stepped in. Along with acting as interpreters, the team members ensured the detainees were treated with dignity both in jail and upon release.

“They facilitated human moments for people detained,” Mustafa said.

HOPE Esperanza Founder TinaMaria Fernandez told local media she is still processing the events of last year.

“I don’t see politics,” she said in the interview. “I see displaced families. I see separated families, kiddos going to bed at night without their parents. It’s a lot.”

The detainees were released from Lincoln County, hours away from home. They were let out in a community they didn’t know, with often nothing but the clothes on their backs. HOPE Esperanza helped them organize their paperwork, offered a safe place to recoup and gather food and other necessities, and to call their loved ones. The team also stepped up to book hotel rooms when necessary and secured them a safe way home.

Community Safety Planning

The challenges exposed by the Glenn Valley raid also highlighted the need for communities to be better prepared before enforcement actions occur. In the months that followed, CIRA and its partners expanded community safety planning efforts across the state.

A key skill CIRA’s Community Engagement Team found was necessary for a time of increased immigration enforcement is how to vet rumors. So along with connecting communities with training resources, they have also been connecting people to States at the Core’s a rumor vetting strategy with the acronym SALUTE.

S – Size: What is the size of the action?

A – Actions: What exactly is happening?

L – Location: Where exactly is the action happening?

U – Uniform: Share visible markings and/or unit names.

T – Time and Date: What time and date did the action happen?

E – Equipment: What gear, vehicles, or weapons are there?

Welcoming efforts across the state

But as Mustafa noted, not all cross-community engagement is focused on ICE and its presence in the state. She has noticed more communities focusing on long-term welcoming plans and belonging efforts.

Ted Blessing, CIRA community engagement coordinator, helps organize these efforts across the state.

“It’s so encouraging to see a growing interest in welcoming efforts across Nebraska and southwestern Iowa,” he said. “It shows communities don’t just react to current events; they’re thinking about how to build trust, develop belonging, and make sure all residents can proactively thrive and participate in their daily lives.”

In one year, Blessing has coordinated more than 55 educational presentations, represented CIRA at dozens of community events, and has played a key role in helping to navigate new realities unfolding in immigrant communities.

The Community Engagement Team has found it most benefits the state if defensive work is combined with building bridges across local communities.

One year later, the effects of the Glenn Valley raid are still felt by many families and communities across Nebraska. But so too are the relationships, partnerships, and preparedness efforts that grew in its aftermath.

For CIRA and its partners, the response was never only about reacting to a single day. It was about ensuring that communities have the knowledge, resources, and connections needed to support one another in times of crisis and beyond.