Steve Cortes, Founder for League of American Workers | Facebook
Steve Cortes, Founder for League of American Workers | Facebook
Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, said that immigration enforcement actions in Nebraska led to American citizens applying for jobs at Glenn Valley Foods following a worksite raid. The statement was made on X.
"So…immigration enforcement leads to a rush of applicants for those jobs from…American citizens," said Cortes.
A large-scale U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 10, 2025, resulted in the arrest of approximately 80 workers. This action left the meatpacking plant operating at only 20–30% capacity, significantly disrupting both employment and regional food supply. According to Reuters, this marks the largest workplace enforcement in Nebraska in years and has raised concerns over labor shortages and economic ripple effects.
According to Barron’s, job applications at Nebraska meatpacking plants, including Glenn Valley Foods, increased after the June 2025 raid. However, persistent community fear and hesitation led to over 60 vacant positions remaining unfilled for several weeks. This situation caused the company to struggle to restore normal operations despite intensified recruitment efforts.
Reuters reports that before the June 2025 raid, more than half of Glenn Valley Foods’ staff were undocumented or immigrant workers. After the arrests, the remaining workforce was predominantly legal residents or citizens, with the total number of employees dropping by about 70%, dramatically altering the plant’s demographic makeup.
Cortes is a political commentator and strategist who currently leads the League of American Workers. He previously served as a senior advisor to Donald Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns and built a career as a financial analyst and frequent media contributor on outlets like Fox News.
The League of American Workers is an advocacy group founded by Cortes to promote the interests of American blue-collar workers. Its mission is to champion patriotic labor policies through research, education, and media engagement.
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