The Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and their federal partners were assaulted by an illegal immigrant while executing a warrant Wednesday at a meat producing plant in Omaha, Nebraska.

During the raid, ICE detained more than 70 illegal immigrants, some of whom had local warrants for their arrests, prior DUI convictions or had previously been deported, the agency said.

“Yesterday, an illegal alien from Honduras brandished a weapon and assaulted federal agents and officers who were doing their job: protecting American citizens, the public and businesses who are being victimized through identity fraud,” ICE acting Director Todd Lyons said Wednesday. 

“My biggest issue is: Why us?” Hartmann told the AP. “We do everything by the book.”

Many of the 70 people detained Wednesday may now face additional federal charges, including fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents; assaulting a federal officer; resisting arrest; illegal reentry; and misuse of Social Security numbers, ICE said. (ICE)

Hartmann added that ICE officers at the raid apparently told him the E-Verify system is broken.

“I mean, what am I supposed to do with that?” Hartmann told the AP. “This is your system, run by the government. And you’re raiding me because your system is broken?”

Douglas County Commissioner Roger Garcia said in a Facebook post Wednesday that officials are “telling friends and allies to standby momentarily as we continue to gather and verify information and coordinate proper guidance for families affected.”

Chad Hartmann, president of Glenn Valley Foods, told The Associated Press he was surprised by the raid, saying the plant uses E-Verify to confirm workers’ immigration statuses before hiring them. (Margery A. Beck)

“There are response groups that have been activated and also safe spaces for families to go, alongside legal representation that is being coordinated,” Garcia said. “We are still trying to find out more information on how many were detained today, how many sites (Lala and Glenn Valley verified thus far, JBS may have been mistakenly listed we are looking into it), and where those detained are being taken.”

The operation was a multi-agency effort that included ICE Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations Omaha; DHS Security Office of Inspector General; Department of Justice; FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; ​​Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Marshals Service; IRS Criminal Investigation; Nebraska State Patrol; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and the Nebraska Department of Vehicles Fraud Unit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.