Paul Hammel: Report says Gov. Pillen's companies hired some undocumented immigrants
The Flatwater Free Press, in conjunction with reporters with the New York Times, recently confirmed what many had suspected — that Gov. Jim Pillen had employed undocumented immigrants in his hog business.
Out in farm country, I doubt that the story came as much of a surprise.
Paul Hammel
For years, Nebraska hog barns, feedlots, meat processing plants and roofing crews have relied on immigrant labor to staff their operations.
Pretty much everyone knows that. Few questions are asked about how they are able to get jobs despite immigration checks required of businesses.
And, there’s general acceptance of these immigrants — they’re taking jobs no one else wants to take, and, by and large, are hard workers, trying (like our forefathers did) to get ahead and live the American dream.
Years ago, I covered an ICE raid in O’Neill, aimed at busting a local businessman who was acting as an employment agency for local, agriculture-based businesses — and skimming off some of the wages paid to his clients.
More than 100 immigrants — fathers, mothers and others — were hauled away to detention in the raid. But instead of hailing the crackdown, dozens of O’Neill residents held a protest to get their friends and neighbors back.
To a person, they said these people were part of their community, neighbors, fellow members at church and in local organizations. Their kids played with their kids; they attended school together; played on the same teams and cheer squads.
These new residents were not seen as “the worst of the worst,” which was the stated goal of the current ICE crackdown and deportations (even though more than 70% of the current ICE detainees have no criminal convictions, according to reports).
Anyway, Gov. Pillen didn’t come off too well after the publishing of the recent story. He waved off the story as “old news,” and a spokeswoman said his companies never “knowingly” hired any undocumented immigrants — which is what a lot of companies can say.
Pillen has been a full-throated backer of President Trump’s aggressive deportation push, and agreed to turn a state prison camp near McCook into an ICE detention center.
Still, the governor — whose hog barns hold the 14th largest number of pigs in the nation — has also moderated his stance. Once, he told the Nebraska Examiner that immigrants who are working, and are law-abiding, and have been in the country for years are “... A-OK, they’re fine.”
Some pretty conservative groups, like the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, have been saying that if people want to work, and are good people, give them a way to do that. After all, our state has thousands and thousands of unfilled jobs.
But Congress is passing few bills these days, and a bipartisan attempt to fashion a coherent immigration law was scuttled by Trump, who didn’t want former President Joe Biden to get a political win.
It’s the kind of political stuff that drives you crazy — good ideas can’t become law because someone might win some political points.
So we muddle on. Immigrants desperate to flee crime-ridden, no-future countries still see America as a beacon of hope; companies desperate for workers still look the other way when hiring.
As for Pillen, it’s hard to say how the Flatwater/NY Times story might impact his re-election chances. It’s not a good look to root for an immigration crackdown when you’re hiring undocumented immigrants yourself.
But my guess is that our governor has bigger issues dragging down his popularity, like the worsening economy for farmers and the inability to put a major dent into the state’s high property taxes.
Paul Hammel has covered the Nebraska state government and the state for decades. He is a retired senior reporter for the Nebraska Examiner and the former Capitol Bureau Chief for the Omaha World-Herald. A native of Ralston, Nebraska, he loves traveling and writing about the state.
