- On Tuesday, federal agents detained between 75 and 80 individuals in Omaha, prompting concerns from the community about their whereabouts.
- A concerned neighbor followed the bus transporting the detainees to the Homeland Security office but was unable to obtain information about their status, as she and others were told to keep moving when they attempted to ask questions.
- KMTV reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for details on the detainees' location, with an ICE spokesperson stating that more information would be released as it becomes available; meanwhile, families outside the DHS building reported having no information about their detained relatives.
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"I worry about my community members. I worry about their families. I probably have taught their children at some point. It's just very scary," concerned neighbor Gina Durfee said.
Durfee, a teacher in Omaha, said she has taught children whose parents are immigrants; that's why she tracked down the bus transporting those detained Tuesday afternoon.
She followed the bus from about 60th and J streets all the way to the Homeland Security office, which is near Eppley Airfield.
"As the bus pulled in at Homeland Security, we tried to stop and ask what was going on, and we were told to keep moving," Durfee said.
KMTV wanted to know more about where the detainees would be taken next. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website, the only detention center in our area is the Pottawattamie County Jail. KMTV called the jail to ask if detainees were being taken there, but they told me to refer to immigration.
We then contacted ICE spokesperson Tanya Roman and asked if she could provide the location of the detained individuals. Roman wrote, "More info will be coming out as available."
"I think they have disappeared. We have no idea where they are. I have good sources, and no one knows where anyone is," Durfee said.
We continued to follow up with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); however, they did not address my questions, responding instead,
"Reports of any other ICE operation and/or attempted operations in the Omaha area are simply disinformation being used to confuse the American public."
Individuals waiting outside the DHS building told KMTV their mom was detained, and so far, they have no information about her whereabouts or if she'll be able to come home.
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