OMAHA, Neb. — The Omaha community watched closely after four men were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Douglas County Courthouse. We spoke with the attorney for one of the detainees and the Douglas County sheriff, who explained what happened Tuesday. 

Robert Larsen, a local criminal defense attorney, shared photos of his client, who was detained shortly before his scheduled hearing while Larsen briefly stepped into a courtroom to finalize details.

“When I returned to my seat, I noticed that my client was no longer there,” Larsen said. He saw his client being detained by a plainclothes officer.

“I approached them, and the person detaining him told me my client had previously been deported, and that was why he was being arrested,” Larsen said. The officer confirmed he worked for ICE but was not wearing any distinctive gear.

Larsen said his client is now at the McCook ICE detention center.

Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hansen confirmed that four men were arrested by ICE while their criminal cases were being processed. “Three of them had been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, and all three had previously been deported. A fourth man was arrested for hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license,” Hansen said.

The sheriff said these arrests are standard practice and often involve locating people at the courthouse, which can make some individuals afraid to attend court.

“If someone fails to appear, an arrest warrant is issued, and local authorities search for and apprehend them,” Hansen said. He recommends that anyone who may be afraid to appear contact an immigration lawyer to review their options before a scheduled court appearance.